NITK Masters Gyan 2015

NITK MASTERS GYAN 2015
Fall 2015
Introduction
72 NITK alumni share their individual stories of applying to top universities across the world.
This is a compilation of experiences, suggestions and profiles from the past few years to help the
juniors get a fair idea of how to go about the application process, picking colleges, writing their
statements of purpose and getting their letters of recommendation.
It is a tedious process and we hope that through this, we can make your path slightly less
confusing and provide you with contact information of seniors who have traversed the same path
as you intend to. The compilation includes Masters, as well as PhD admits; countries such as
USA, Europe, Singapore, etc; programs varying from traditional CS, Mech and EE programs to
Environmental Studies and Entertainment Technology.
NITK Alumni are everywhere and here is hoping you have a clearer idea of what to do next,
whom to contact with doubts or how to go about it after reading this and that you will know how
to tackle some of the problems that you may face.
The profiles have been ordered branch-wise.
Branch-wise & Year-wise Count
Chemical Engineering: 6
Civil Engineering: 6
Computer Engineering: 12
Electrical & Electronics Engineering: 13
Electronics & Communication Engineering: 13
Information Technology: 7
Mechanical Engineering: 13
Metallurgy & Materials Engineering: 1
Mining Engineering: 1
Fall 2011: 1
Fall 2012: 3
Fall 2013: 5
Fall 2014: 15
Fall 2015: 48
Fall 2015
Chemical Engineering
8.67
Name
Shalini S
Program
MS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering
GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

163, 160,5.5(not sure actually:/)
Admits (in order of preference)

MS~PDP University of California,Berkeley
M.Eng University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Reason for Admits

Strong Sops and LoR. I played to my strengths and that helped. Having internships that showed
continous line of thought worked I'm my favour. Attending national level conferences was an
added bonus!
Rejects
Loads. Below are all PhD rejects:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Washington,Seattle
Rice University
Georgia Tech
University of Maryland, College Park
Reason for Rejects

PhD admits are a different ballgame compared to MS. Not having publications or foreign
internship definitely hurt me. Your cgpa needs to be exceptional otherwise, mine was not. The
biggest blunder I committed was applying to Biomedical Dept instead of Chemical Department.
Apply to the same dept as your undergrad major. Competition is insane in allied fields. Asserting
your research aptitude is mandatory to secure a PhD admit.
Internships you did as an Undergrad?

National Chemical Laboratory, Pune
Iisc, Bangalore
RA/TA Positions at your university?

My MS is a one year program. No scope of RA/TA as of now in the program.
Scholarship or Financial Aid?

I intended to, but I missed tthe deadlines.
JRD Tata Scholarships~ Deadline is mid april
Lodha Construction~ Deadline is in May
SOP and LOR advice?

Approach your profs as soon as you get back to college, if you don't want it to be a mundane
LoR. Show your face, regularly! Get your SoP read by the Profs etc, small initiatives will help
you a great deal.
Sops. Start early and get as many critical opinions as you can. Don't change your SoP after every
feedback, make only those changes which you are convinced about. Its yours after all! Keep it
as technical and avoid the Gre language. DONOT use sentences such as, I am xyz, with AIEEE
rank **** N 12th% as *** so engineering came natural to me and I secured ** rank in my
undergraf class. Nope. Substantiate your achievements, not just throwing facts! Read sample
essays, you will get the idea.
Further Suggestions?
If you have any other queries, mail me at shalini.suresh4@gmail.com
Fall 2014
9.18
Name
Aniket Sandip Mule
Program
MS/PhD in Chemical Engineering: Interface engineering and Surface Chemistry

323 (170,153,3)

1) ETH Zurich (MSc in Process Engg)
2) NUS Singapore (PhD)
3) UC Berkeley (MS-PDP with forcus on microelectronics)
4) Erasmus Mundus NANO (MSc)
5) TU Eindhoven (MSc)
Reason for Admits

1) ETH Zurich (GPA,Recommendations,Senior worked in same group, NUS intern)
2) NUS Singapore (NUS intern,GPA, Recommendation from another institute(by Scientist) in
Singapore)
3) UC Berkeley (GPA, Recommendation, NUS intern in same field as intended specialisation)
4) Erasmus Mundus NANO(Same as 3)
5) TU Eindhoven (Same as 3 + 3 Seniors with good track record in same university)
Rejects
EPFL Switzerland
Reason for Rejects

Nothing specific, perhaps none of the seniors have been there. Besides, I had mentioned about
my ETH application in the EPFL form. Apart from these none of the Profs must be interested in
research similar to mine or the ones who might have been interested have no vacancies.

1) IIT Bombay in second year
2) NUS Singapore as a part of NUS-India Research Initiative scholarship

1) ETH (no but PhD stipend is brilliant)
2) NUS (Yes, depends on your Prof but generally if you get an admit you are given the
scholarship)
3) UCB (No, not for the course I applied to)
4) Erasmus Mundus NANO (No, but a tution fee waiver offered)
5) TU Eindhoven (No, but ALSP scholarships funded by university or company is offered)

1) NUS (its comes as a part of application , NUS research scholarship)
2) Erasmus Mundus (again as a part of application)
3) TU Eindhoven (ALSP scholarships, again its part of application however you have to accept
the admit first and only then you are considered for the same)
UCB had no scholarships exclusively, ETH has exellence scholarship (its hard to get as per
seniors so never really thought of applying for it, it has a separate application). ETH however has
very minimal fees(80k INR per annum).
SOP and LOR advice?

SoPs- Keep it straight forward(Dont try to flatter!!!!), make your intentions clear as to why you
chose this particular course and the university (talk about research in your intended field
happening in the institute and how your profile backs it strongly and makes you a strong
contender)
LoRs- Take it from Profs who know you very well and with whom you share a great rapport.
Ideal case would be 1 Prof from institute(he can talk a lot about your soft skills) and 1 from
where you did your intern (he can out-rightly state the skills that you have developed as intern
and how helpful can it be during your graduate studies)
Chose your universities wisely (dont just go by name, check their course contents and options
available further). Dont be fixated on US (Quite a few non-US universities at top). Lot of
options are opening up elsewhere (Canada, Australia, Europe, Singapore). Be ready with SoPs
and LoRs by September end/ latest by mid-October.
Fall 2014
8.24
Name
Achint Sanghi
Program
MS in Grain Science

331

Kansas State University
Iowa State University

Yes, have been admitted as an RA
SOP and LOR advice?

SoPs need to address what you want to do and why you are qualified it to do it. Keep it simple,
as short as possible, and don't be too formal. For recos, make sure your profs mention how they
know you personally (which courses the taught, project guides, etc.) and make sure they know
what your plan in your MS is.
Don't apply for an MS for the sake of getting an MS. Form a plan of what you want to do later in
life, and apply if the MS is going to HELP you get there. An MS is a means to an end, not an end
in itself. Check out https://www.educationusa.info/ if you are applying to the US.
Fall 2015
7.98
Name
Anjali Nelliat
Program
MS in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

327(166, 161, 4)

Johns Hopkins University
TU Delft
Reason for Admits

My CGPA was much lower (read - below an 8) than the average for an admit from these
universities. Relevant research projects & a decent GRE score are what probably offset the low
CGPA. I had good LoRs as well. ( TU Delft requires scanned copies so I was able to see my
LoRs). My summer internship was in a niche area of research under a well-known Professor coincidentally Hopkins is one of the few institutes that has similar research. All my projects at
NITK were also in a closely related field. I also took certified online courses from US
universities in my research interests.
Rejects
Didn't apply to any others. Since TU Delft has a rolling deadline I received their decision well
before my other deadlines & chose not to apply.

- Department of Biotechnology at the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI),
Kerala in the summer after second year
- Ocular Therapeutic Engineering Centre at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU),
Singapore in the summer after third year.
SOP and LOR advice?

An SoP doesn't need to be a compilation of all the GRE words you know. An unpretentious,
concise, grammatically correct essay of no more than thousand words works best. (Mine was
only 700 words long). It might be a good thing to add a small sub-heading of 'Research Interests'
before the main essay. (eg. Research Interests : Nanomedicine, Biomaterials). In addition to
briefly describing your research projects, try adding at least sentence on what you learned from
each of them. Convey what specifically draws you to their program - not generic reasons.
Mention a few professors whose work interests you. Also give them an indication of your plans
after grad school.
Get LoRs from professors who know you & your research. Approach them at least a month
before your deadline. Send them your resume or SoP so they have an idea of what you've done &
your motivation for grad school.
If all that's stopping you from applying to your dream grad school is your CGPA - go for it!
While your pointer is hugely important, it can be offset by motivated research.
All the best!
Fall 2015
9.33
Name
Dhruba Jyoti Deka
Program
PhD in Polymeric materials

326 (167, 159, 4)

The Ohio State University
University of Houston
Reason for Admits

Both places give more importance to GRE score and UG grades than research papers ( but decent
research experience is a must). So even without any publications, I received a PhD admit.
Rejects
University of Delaware
Pennsylvania State University
Purdue University
University of Colorado Boulder
Reason for Rejects

These universities seem to give importance to research publications.

Summer research fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research,
Bangalore.

As a PhD student, I got complete tuition fee waiver along with RA position to cover my livings.
SOP and LOR advice?

SOP - Don't start from your school life. Admission Committee is interested in your college life
only. Write more about research experience and stuffs not mentioned on your CV.
LOR - See to that the LORs project you as a potential researcher, not just a student with
excellent grades and 100% attendance.
Be smart while sort listing universities. Everyone can not go to Harvard.
Fall 2015
8.70
Name
Pearl Philip
Program
MS or PhD in Chemical Engineering(renewable energy systems or computational
thermodynamics)

322

University of Washington, Seattle
Reason for Admits

No idea :P
Rejects
PhD:
Purdue
SUNY Buffalo
Georgia Tech
MS:
University of Toronto
ETH Zurich
Virginia Tech
University of Wisconsin at Madison
Reason for Rejects

Non-compatibility with professors interests
Low gre score
Late contact with potential guides while applying for PhD
Uncertainty about area of specialization

Industrial training at Gulf Petrochem UAE
Research internship at Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai

Yes UW does offer them on a performance basis in your first term there.
SOP and LOR advice?

As pitiful as it may sound, be the teacher's pet. Stay on their good side always and prove yourself
in your work. Not just grades but quality of work, classroom interaction, etc. Just because a
professor knows you well, doesn't mean he can write a convincing letter.
Two words of advice when writing your SOP: numerous drafts. You'll notice that the SOP for
your last application has better flow and atmosphere than for your first. Sell yourself modestly.
Single-mindedness about whether to apply or not is crucial in determining how much effort you
will put into your applications. Preparation is key. DO NOT GIVE YOUR GRE IN A HURRY.
Start the ground work two years before the term you intend to apply for. For example, if you
want to apply for the Fall of 2017, you may want to write your GRE in the winter of 2015. Be in
for large spending. About 1 Lakh for 8 applications+GRE test+TOEFL test
Fall 2014
Civil Engineering
9.44
Name
Arjun Narayanan
Program
MS in Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering and Geomechanics)

334 (168, 166, 4.5)

Stanford University
Reason for Admits

Statement of Purpose, Letters of Recommendation and class rank (GPA).
Rejects
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Reason for Rejects

Needed a better research fit, more research output (in the form of publications etc.), pointer - in
short, I needed to be better on all indices.

Indian Academy of Sciences (2012)
DAAD WISE (2013)

Yes. They automatically consider you for RA/TA positions as a part of your application if you
submit by the early deadline (3rd December).

Yes. Again, automatic consideration for fellowships as a part of the application. The fellowships
and RA positions are usually reserved for PhD students or MS students who are highly inclined
to continue to a PhD. Since I fell in the latter category, I got lucky and landed a fellowship.
SOP and LOR advice?

Read. Write. Review. Repeat - as many times as it takes. Get it reviewed by seniors who are
currently working in the specialization/research area you are applying to. Make your SoP as solid
as possible - it doesn't need to be flowery, so long as it is technically robust.
Dream big and apply only to the places you are interested in. Don't waste your time applying to a
place which has a poor research fit. All the best!
Fall 2014
Civil Engineering
8.03
Name
Neeraj Rajasekar
Program
MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering (EFMH)

321

Stanford University, SUNY Buffalo
Reason for Admits

I had a broad understanding of the subject which I was applying to(environmental fluid
mechanics, hydrology, GIS and RS applications). Mini & Major Projects, a summer project at
iitb and my bachelor's thesis helped me learn more on research and application oriented
engineering relevant to these topics. I believe, these are skills that universities look for in MS
applicants, especially those applying for a terminal MS degree.
Rejects
Cornell, U Michigan, Virginia Tech, UT Austin
Reason for Rejects

I am still intrigued :P

Post second year summer internship at Bangalore Metro
Post third year summer at IITB through the IAS fellowship program.

Yes they do. I plan to apply for RA or Graduate Assistantship once i get there. A prof or my
advisor are people I plan to approach to obtain such a position.

Yes. I wasn't accepted for Financial Aid.
SOP and LOR advice?

A good SOP goes a long way in convincing the admissions committee to choose you and i feel
this made all the difference in my case. Your intentions to study beyond undergraduate school
must be well summarized in an SOP. Make sure to concentrate on why you want to study for an
MS and then more subtely, why they must choose you to study at their program.
Also make sure that when you choose profs who can give you recos, they are themselves
knowledgeable in the area of specialization you are applying to. Give them a copy of your SOP
and let them know what all you want them to mention in the letter. If they let you write/ edit it
even better :P
If u did an intern with a company or at another university, recos from those mentors could help
as well (as long as you had a good relationship with this mentor).
Start preparing early..as early as second year of college. If you are interested in studying beyond
NITK choose a specialization(s) that interests you and build you skills in this area.
Finally, if you get admitted, and have a chance to study more, don't miss out!
Fall 2015
Civil Engineering
8.81
Name
Anand Bhattad
Program
MS in CEE
Management)
(Infrastructural
Systems/Advanced
Infrastructural
System/Societal
Risk

313 (164, 149, 4)

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Michigan State University
Reason for Admits

MSU: Had done my internship there and my guide was very much impressed by my Progress
and he was certain to recruit me.
UIUC: Relevant Projects, Strong SOP and Recommendation Letters, Advanced Courses (1 from
ECE department: Application of Signal Processing and 1 of M.Tech Course: Structural
dynamics), Consistently rise in GPA (7.7 in first year to 8.81 in 7th semester), very good extracurricular and co-curricular activities
Rejects
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Michigan - Ann Harbor
Reason for Rejects

I had applied for direct PhD program in both these universities.
UMich: I knew the Prof personally very well and had visited him during my stay at MSU. I was
in contact with him thereafter and dropped him regular emails about my Progress. The advanced
courses which I had taken were suggested by him.
He had to choose only 1 candidate and preferred the one with more experience. Though he
pushed my application for MS admission, but graduate committee didn't oblige. Reason: Low
GRE score
CMU: Had a Skype interview which was very decent. Kept me waiting months for result and
finally it was a 'NO'. When contacted Prof (who had conducted Skype Interview) reasoned
research grants were not available to recruit more students. (I am yet to hear about my MS
decision and CMU is way costlier than UIUC, therefore it doesn't matter)

Summer 2012: Certified AutoCAD Course
December 2012: Industrial Internship (Bhate & Raje Construction Co Pvt Ltd, Infosys Site,
Pune)
Summer 2013: Earthquake Engineering Research Center (IIITH) - Static and Dynamic Analysis
of Multi-storied residential Building
Summer 2014: Michigan State University - Damage Assessment Using Self Powered Wireless
Sensors

will be considered for RA/TA only after first semester
SOP and LOR advice?

Your Statement should be a concise statement of your plans for graduate study, your career
goals, and how Universitys graduate program will help you meet your career and educational
objectives.
Briefly describe key experiences that led you to graduate studies. Examples might include
research experiences, internships, coursework or extracurricular activities.
Share specific, relevant examples of how these experiences helped you develop skills for success
as a graduate student. For instance, you might demonstrate ways that you have synthesized
knowledge from the classroom, developed research skills, communicated effectively, acted as a
leader, or gained skills and responsibility over time.
Make a clear connection between your previous experiences and your current interest in graduate
studies. If your intended area of specialization in graduate school differs significantly from your
previous experiences, please briefly explain why you decided to change focus.
If applicable, explain any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record and share unusual
obstacles or hardships that you have overcome in pursuit of your educational objectives.
Explain how your goals for graduate study relate to your longer-term career plans, including the
pursuit of additional degrees or certifications if applicable.
It's okay if you have low GPA or GRE Score!! Build your Profile by doing relevant projects
(TAKE YOUR MINI PROJECTS AND MAJOR PROJECT SERIOUSLY). Take Advanced
Courses and try to do well in all these courses - this will definitely add to your application.
Don't waste your time in applying to too many universities. Apply only where you will finally
consider worth going. Don't shortlist universities based on US News Ranking. I suggest you to
use scholar.google.com to find professors of your research interests and based on these results
Shortlist your universities.
Finally, Aim Higher and believe in yourself!
Good Luck!
Fall 2015
Civil Engineering
9.22
Name
Abhishek Salkar
Program
MS in Civil Engineering (Structures)

325 (170, 155, 5) - Attempted twice. I have taken the best score for each section, since thats what
universities consider (I found that out after emailing them)

1) University of California, Berkeley (UCB) - Destination
2) Stanford University
3) University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
4) Georgia Tech
5) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
6) University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
7) University of Washington, Seattle
8) Virginia Tech
9) Texas A&M University
10) Michigan State University
Reason for Admits

1) My project at Michigan State University (the place where I interned after third year) was very
good. Also, the prof under whom I worked is well reputed in the entire US. Hence, his
recommendation carried a lot of significance.
2) A lot of research projects in the area of specialization. Almost all of them got published too
(including a publication in a very reputed journal).
3) Strong recos, and a good SOP I guess.
Rejects
1) MIT
2) UT Austin
3) Purdue University
Reason for Rejects

1) MIT is MIT :P...My GPA wasn't high enough. Neither was my GRE score I guess.
2) I have no clue why I didn't get accepted into UT Austin and Purdue! :P

1) Summer Training Program at IIT Roorkee after second year
2) Undergraduate Research Assistant at Michigan State University after third year

Yes, most of the departments in any university automatically consider you for RA/TA when you
apply there. If you specify that you intend to continue for a Ph.D., they are more likely to
consider you for such positions more seriously. I am not aware of any other application process
to apply for these positions specifically. People also go to the university first, and then start
talking talking to profs for such opportunities.
I was offered a full tuition waiver and RA position at University of Washington. I rejected it
though.
SOP and LOR advice?

1) One's SoP can never be ""perfect"". No matter how long you work on it, there will always be
scope for improvement. So start working on it as soon as possible. I would say earlier the better.
2) Be as genuine as possible in your SoP. The adcoms are very experienced, and can easily make
out if an SoP is genuine or not, and how much effort has gone into it.
3) Don't elaborate your academic achievements on your SoP again. That information is already
available to the adcoms on your Resume. Try not to repeat information on your applications.
What will you say if you are given two minutes to speak in front of the graduate committee and
convince them to take you in ? Thats what you should be writing in your SoP
4) No particular advice for recos. Just make sure you approach the profs well in advance.
Good Luck!
Fall 2015
Civil Engineering
Name
Sriram
Program
Ms in structural engineering

322 ( 165, 157, 4 )

Virginia Tech
Texas A&M
Ncsu
Rejects
Uiuc
Ut Austin
Georgia tech

Research internship at earth quake engineering research center eerc iiit
8.83

Yes. Should apply once I reach there
Fall 2015
Civil Engineering
Name
Arun A
Program
MS+PhD in Structural Engineering

320 (163, 157, 5)

Texas A&M

Internship at L&T after third year
7.75
Fall 2014
Computer Engineering
Name
Nishaanth
Program
MS in CS (Computer Vision))

326 (170, 156, 4)

University of California at Irvine - Great Computer Vision Lab
University of Southern California - Top 15 in the world ranking
SUNY Stony Brook - Very cheap($16k a year) CS program
Reason for Admits

Projects
Internships
Full quantitative score
Rejects
CMU - No GPA or papers
UC Berkeley - No work experience
Cornell - No work experience
7.93
UT Austin - No GPA or papers
Reason for Rejects

These universities look at the GPA. They do not realize that RVCE has about 40 9+ pointers in a
class of 100. The CGPA system in our college is what holds us back from getting these good
universities. You can't do anything but weep.
But once you get into whichever university you manage to, you will show your true intelligence
there. There is a reason NITK has an Alumni association in the Bay Area of California. The
NITK tag is well known where it matters. I advise you to not be a fooled by the ranking systems.
Go abroad as soon as you can.

Texas Instruments - Computer Vision
CoreEL Technologies - Signal Processing

I will apply for a TA/RA position after I make a decision about which university to opt for.
SOP and LOR advice?

Rewrite your SOP once every day in the period of one month. Tweaking a few words and
sentences compulsively does help.
Ask your professors nicely for recommendations and they will give you.
Let a bad CGPA not hold you back from applying. Strengthen your profile in all other aspects.
Fall 2014
9.12
Name
Vijay
Program
MS in CS (Algorithms)

338 (170, 168, 4.5)

University of Waterloo (Master's)
Wisconsin-Madison (Unfunded PhD)
Reason for Admits

I had interned at Waterloo in my 3rd year summer. Although my internship adviser could not
accept me, her reco ensured I got a fully funded offer.
I don't know of any specific reasons why I got Wisconsin offer. (Well, it's not really an attractive
offer.)
Rejects
Berkeley
MIT
CMU
Princeton
Washington
Maryland
Toronto
Reason for Rejects

I wasn't too hopeful of getting admits from top US universities, (they look at much more than
GRE and CGPA), but was only taking a chance. One reason for rejection could be that I had
applied to PhD programs in the US, which are insanely hard to get anyway. On top of that, my
area of interest was theoretical computer science, and getting PhD offers in this field is as hard as
getting Physics PhD admits.
I didn't expect a reject from Toronto. On inquiry, they said the funding system in Canada
required them to accept a minimum number of Canadian students, which meant some of the
eligible foreign students had to be left out.

University of Otago, NZ - Context aware image magnification and lensing
University of Waterloo, Canada - Reconfiguration problems in graph theory.
IPTSE Winter School - Speaker based linking of audio streams.

Waterloo has offered me RA and TA positions which cover my entire tuition fees. Other
scholarships ensure I'll be earning a substantial amount during my study (which should cover
rent, food and still leave me with enough to save!)
I did not apply to them separately. All incoming students at Waterloo are considered for
scholarships and RA/TA.
Wisconsin did not offer me any sort of funding. However, a professor agreed for RA from the
second semester.
SOP and LOR advice?

If you have done a couple of research internships, you'll know what your interests are and will
have enough things to write in SoP. I can't give you much advice on writing PhD SoPs since my
SoPs didn't make the cut at the top US universities. However, I'd say focus your SoP more on
your research goals and research background rather than on things personal. It's more a research
statement than a personal statement. Do take a look at the SoPs at:
http://cwfletcher.net/Pages/SoP.php. This guy has shared his SoPs that got him into MIT,
Stanford etc.
Get at least one recommendation letter from one of your NITK professors, preferably a senior
one. Also, get one from a professor/researcher under whom you did internship. Reference letters
from industry professionals usually don't carry as much weightage, so keep them as the last
option. ""Did well in class"" reference letters make no impact on your application. Reference
letters must emphasize on how you stood out among your peers. In the case of internship adviser,
he/she must write about your research potential. If you're taking a letter from a foreign professor,
be sure to ask them if they'd be willing to write you a ""strong"" reference letter. They're in
general brutally honest in their assessment and a ""negative"" letter will hamper your chances.
Once you get admits, be careful in choosing the place to go. It's better if you know the place
you're going to, like Waterloo in my case. The publication count and the number of students
advised by your supervisor will give you an estimate of his/her productivity. Sense whether the
university "wants" you to join (providing funding is a good indicator of that). Also check the
future prospects of graduating from a program (is it heavily job-oriented/research-oriented?).
Fall 2011
Name
Manoj M
Program
MS in CS (OS)

Old Format: 1450

UCSD
CMU
Reason for Admits

Awesome SOP? I have no clue.
Rejects
Berkeley
Stanford
Reason for Rejects

Zero research background
8.93

IBM LTC

Yes. Email professors before you get there for first quarter/semester. For subsequent
quarters/semesters, don't worry until you get there.
SOP and LOR advice?

Letters of Rec: Get them from people with some kind of publication/web presence, and diverse
backgrounds.
SoPs: Think of it like a work of art. You need to make it original and very You. Make it stand
out. Make it crisp and understandable, no arcane vocab or convoluted grammar. Your SoPs are
going to be in a middle of a pile that is reviewed one by one, the reader skimming it for at most 5
minutes.
Good luck!
Fall 2012
Name
Aarthi Ravi
Program
MS in CS (Visual Computing)

325(165,160,4)

UC Berkeley
CMU
University of Texas, Austin
Reason for Admits

Good SoP and LoRs

IBM Extreme Blue
8.80
Fall 2015
Name
Siddharth Santurkar
Program
MS in CS (Systems)

327 (160,167, 5)

CMU
UCLA
UCSD
Columbia
USC
UPenn
NCSU
Reason for Admits

Good Recos.
Customized SoPs for each place.
Profile matched well with the ongoing research at these universities.
9.02
Rejects
Stanford
UT Austin
Georgia Tech
UC Irvine
Reason for Rejects

Stanford - Applied for the MS CS program. One of the best programs in the country, hence,
being one of the hardest to get into. Was my ambitious option anyway.
UT Austin - Highly selective program (only 80 admits issued for MS CS). My profile didn't
match very well with the department.
Georgia Tech & UC Irvine - Rejection was somewhat unexpected.

Summer research internships in the Systems Engineering group of TU Dresden, Germany, at the
end of 2nd and 3rd year.

As a master's student only TA options are available unless you have an exceptional research
profile. Amongst my admitted universities, UCSD offers the maximum number of TA positions.
The general observation is that public universities offer more TA positions than private ones. TA
positions are usually offered after joining the university and spoken English proficiency is the
general criteria for selection. Your TOEFL score matters here.
I don't plan to apply for this position in my first semester due to the heavy coursework load.
SOP and LOR advice?

Ask profs with whom you've done projects/papers for recos. Your major project guide's reco
would be very handy. Completing their courses with good grades alone isn't sufficient for them
to draft a good reco for you. As far as possible, ensure that the prof writes the reco for you and
doesn't insist on uploading a draft prepared by you. Apply sufficiently in advance to give enough
time for your recommenders to draft and submit your recos. Verify once if they are prepared to
give you a good reco. Have a larger proportion of academic (department) recos to
industry/internship ones.
Write your SoP in an organized manner (like a story). Exclude all unnecessary details and
elaborate the highlights of your profile. Provide a solid motivation for pursuing graduate studies.
It is important to dedicate some part of your SoP explaining why you are a good fit for the
program and how your experience complements well with the department's research.
If you are certain about doing graduate studies in the US, apply to a sufficient number of
universities and draw a proper balance between Safe, Moderate and Ambitious universities. This
approach should maximize your chances of getting admits. Further, choose those Safe
universities that you are sure of joining, should the worst case happen.
Fall 2014
8.20
Name
Abhinav KR
Program
MS is Mobility and Computer Systems

319/340

Carnegie Mellon University - MSIT-Mobility
TAMU - MSCS
USC - MSCS
GaTech - MSCS
Reason for Admits

My projects in NITK, research internships during undergrad and my 2 years of work experience
at Citrix R&D.
Honestly, I am not sure what colleges look at.
Rejects
UIUC, UMass, UCSB, UCSD, UTAustin, NCSU
Reason for Rejects

No idea. :P
You can't really put a finger on one reason why you don't get admits.
Can't explain how CMU gave me an admit but NCSU gave me a reject. I know another
classmate with no research experience and with a 6.0GPA who got NCSU.
There is no formula to get admits.

ISI Bangalore after second year. IISc after my third year.

Yes
SOP and LOR advice?

Don't read other SOPs initially. Write your SOP on your own first. It will be very bad. Now read
other SoPs from senior batches and correct all the mistakes.
All the best!
Fall 2015
9.32
Name
Sreecharan Sankaranarayanan
Program
PhD and Masters in Computational and Mathematical Engineering (Data Science Track)
PhD in Language and Information Technology

330 (170, 160, 4)

Stanford University
Reason for Admits

PhD requires an exact match of almost all parameters. While GPA, GRE, TOEFL score are all
one sided cutoffs (if you are on the lower side, you are out), your research experience,
internships and consequently the statement of purpose and/or research statement that you write
about your intended field makes the most difference.
Demonstrable research experience that you can talk about during interviews help. Research
papers, projects, awards for those projects etc. count as demonstrable research experience.
Rejects
Withdrew from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne - Got CMU which was my top choice.
University of California Berkeley - Prof on sabbatical.

University of Washington - Got CMU which was my top choice.
Reason for Rejects

Withdrew from them

At the time of applying, I had completed the following internships.
After 2nd year,
IIT Madras under Prof. C Pandu Rangan
After 3rd year,
Software Engineering Intern at ITRI Taiwan
Data Science Intern at Global Touchpoints Inc.
At the time of applying, I intended to go to the following place which I wrote about in my SOP.
Winter of final year,
Summer Research Scholar at the University of Queensland, Australia

PhD is always fully funded. In some universities you will have to apply after receiving your
admit. CMU offers a research fellowship for 5 years as a combination of TA and RA positions.
You will have to TA for at least 2 courses over your tenure in CMU.
SOP and LOR advice?

LOR advice, the best I have seen - http://cs.brown.edu/~sk/Memos/Grad-School-Recos/
SOP is complicated and I wouldn't want to influence anyone's writing. There aren't any set rules.
Be smart and always think from the angle of the reader. If you are writing an MS SOP, it should
often be coursework oriented as the MS program is mostly coursework. A PhD SOP on the other
hand is mostly a research statement with a paragraph or two about your intended advisor and
work.
Fall 2015
7.70
Name
Karan Sabhani
Program
MS in CS(General)

334(168, 168, 6.5)

University of California San Diego
Reason for Admits

Decent GRE Score mainly.
I didn't really have a great CS profile. I hadn't worked on many projects. My GPA wasn't really
great either.
I had done internships in all three summers. All three were in pretty big companies and were all
pretty different from each other. That probably helped.
I had four good LoRs. Two from profs and two from internships.
I also believe I had a good SoP. I had spent a lot of time on it.
Rejects
University of Toronto
Purdue university (no response yet)
Reason for Rejects

I didn't expect to get into UoT. They expect admits to have a GPA of at least 3.5. My lack of a
decent CS profile probably didn't help either.

Qatargas at the end of first year. It was pretty industrial and mainly dealt with control systems.
Honeywell at the end of second year. Dealt with logic building and developing simulations.
Deloitte at the end of third year. I worked mainly on big data and Hadoop.

I'm not sure if UCSD does.
SOP and LOR advice?

Get LoRs from different sources. Don't restrict yourself to just profs. Having more than three
may help.
Spend a lot of time on your SoP. Structure it well.
It may be a good idea to look at a lot of other SoPs before getting started.
Get your SoP looked at by as many people as possible.
Fall 2015
Name
Ashwin Swaroop
Program
MS in Machine Learning

327(170,157,4)

UC Davis, UC Riverside, SUNY Buffalo, Northeastern University, UC Merced
Reason for Admits

SOP, Research Paper, GRE
Rejects
UCLA
Reason for Rejects

Low GPA

Software Development internships at LiveVox, and 3CIT
6.50

Yes. Probably not applying. Not sure.

FAFSA(For U.S Citizens). They give a $5000 scholarship and $20000 loan.
SOP and LOR advice?

Write about research interests and research potential. Seems like they care a lot about that. For
recos, ask any prof.
Fall 2015
8.38
Name
Sasank Channapragada
Program
MS in CS (Systems)

335 (170,165,4.5)

University of California San Diego
University of Southern California, Los Angeles
University of California, Irvine
State University of New York, Stony Brook
University of Pittsburgh
University of Illinois, Chicago
Reason for Admits

Good GRE score, although it doesn't matter much. Clarity of what I wanted from the schools and
what I could offer them. Tailored SOP according to my strengths and college's program
structure.
UCSD is very highly ranked for both Systems and Machine Learning, which are my main areas
of interest. I modified my SOP accordingly.
USC has a good ML and Data Science track, which wasn't what my SOP was mainly about. But
they give a lot of admits so that may have helped.
UCI and Stony Brook: Mentioned profs and research groups who are currently working on
projects similar to what I have already worked on
UPitt and UIC were really safe options. My profile was well above average for these two
schools.
Rejects
University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
University of Texas at Austin
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
University of California Los Angeles
University of Maryland College Park
Reason for Rejects

Lower GPA compared to other applicants, lack of research experience, no publications. I also did
not contact any profs. Not sure if that affected the decision.
UIUC and UT Austin are highly selective. Very few get admits.
GaTech gives a lot of importance to your research experience. Research internships are almost a
necessity.
UCLA usually gives importance to GPA. A lot of smaller Indian college students get admits
because of higher pointer.

2nd year summer: Web and application development internship at a startup, Bilent Sevices
Private Limited
3rd year summer: Intern at Samsung R&D, Bangalore. Worked on NFC (Near Field
Communication)

Almost everyone who studies at UCSD gets either RA/TA after the first quarter. However, I
have only heard this from seniors and have not applied for them yet.
SOP and LOR advice?

SoP
1) Highlight your strengths: Even if people tell you to leave certain things out. This could be
your major project, an internship or even a course you took. You do not have to leave out extra
curricular achievements as long as you are able to talk about how it will help you in your
graduate studies.
2) Have a flow to the statement: Make it a story, explaining the decisions you made and where
they led you. eg: I worked in the industry in X internship and under a prof with project Y. The
knowledge of X helped me do this advanced customization with Y.
3) Modify instances to your advantage. eg: CS department forced you to take a lot of networks
related electives over the years. You can say that you picked all these advanced topics on
purpose/out of your own interest in the field.
4) Do not lie: It's very easy to figure out when a student is making up stories or is talking about a
project that he has not worked on.
5) Why youre good for the school and why the school is good for you. You need to include
both. Spend some time reading up about each school's department, profs, etc and show it in your
SoP.
6) Read seniors' SoPs. But do not try to write like anyone else.
7) Spend more time on the paragraph that talks about the college in particular. When you
mention a prof, be sure to visit his page and understand his work.
LoR
1) Make a list of every person who can give you a reco (Prof, teacher, project guide, internship
prof, manager, etc)
2) Scratch out the names who you know will not give a good reco
3) Arrange the rest in descending order of preference. Higher priority to those in the field that
you're applying for.
4) Most colleges need 3 recos. Get 4 confirmations just to be safe. Make it clear to each writer
the number of recommendations you need. Do this well in advance. Do this by July. You'll beat
the crowd.
5) Send the writer your resume, your SoP and if you want, a list of points that you wish him to
talk about. If your LoR backs your SoP up, it makes your profile more creditable.
6) Stay in constant touch with them after submitting your application as well. Send them gentle
reminders if they haven't filled it out. Do not harass them.
1) The list of colleges that you apply to is going to be decided only by you at the end of the day.
Don't rely on others' opinions and don't let anyone discourage you from applying to any college.
Remember that one good admit is better than multiple average ones.
2) Apply to a college only if you are sure you will attend it. Assume you get rejects from all the
others. Applying is expensive.
3) Weather, location, opportunities, research, rank, cost are some of the factors you must look
into while applying.
4) Talk to seniors at each college that you apply to.
5) You can choose your specialization once you go to the school. So write about a specialization
that your profile is strongest in. All my internships, most of my electives and non-course projects
have been in Systems. So my SoP spoke about Systems. But you can choose any concentration
once you join. Read the program structure of every department that you apply to.
Fall 2015
8.40
Name
Sampad Medda
Program
MS in Machine Learning - Neural Networks

337

UMD (Fully Funded), UCSD, University of Washington
Reason for Admits

I earned a very good score in GRE (337) and also gained some research experience at IITB in my
field of interest. Good colleges generally check whether you have an aptitude for research or not.
Rejects
CMU, Stanford,UCB ( I applied for 6 colleges only).
Reason for Rejects

Research Experience is greatly appreciated in these colleges. Even though I had good GRE
score, my weak research career might be the reason for not getting letters from these institutions.

I was an intern at Samsung Research Bangalore .

Yes. Probably after first year , performance based.

No, I selected UMD. It gave me full funding.
SOP and LOR advice?

Students need to explain their interests clearly in their SoP. It is very important because after
reading your SoP only it will be forwarded to the concerned faculty/selection committee. A good
SoP in wrong hands might lead to immediate rejection!
Keep on trying. Add some research experience no matter how small, it will definitely help you in
future.
Fall 2015
8.92
Name
Jay Priyadarshi
Program
Ms in cs (general)

313 (162,151, 4)

University of southern California,
University of Pennsylvania,
SUNY stony brook and
University of Illinois at Chicago
Reason for Admits

My projects and internship were in the field of computer networks and that helped me show my
research interests well in my statement of purpose. Maybe GPA too.
Rejects
University of California Irvine,
University of California, Santa Barbara and
SUNY Buffalo
Reason for Rejects

Fewer seats hence first two were more selective, maybe GRE score too

One summer internship at Samsung research institute Bangalore

Yes they do offer RA/TA except upenn (I'm not sure about upenn). I plan to apply to them, it's
usually during the beginning of 2nd semester
SOP and LOR advice?

SoPs - don't digress from the topic to meet the word limit; be as direct as possible.
Research about the college and its faculty to answer the question ""why do you want to join their
program"" in a better way.
LoRs- try to get them early and from faculty or people you have actually worked under (some
project/internship), they usually tend to write a better LoR.
The process seems difficult initially but don't worry it'll become easier at each step ahead. All the
best!
Fall 2014
Electrical & Electronics Engineering
9.42
Name
Sindhu S Shetty
Program
PhD in Power Electronics and Renewable Energy

321(166,155,3.5)

PhD - National University of Singapore
MS - ETH Zurich
MS - TU Delft, Netherlands
Reason for Admits

NUS - Good GPA and class rank , 3rd year internship, matching of research interests, good reco
letter, was already in contact with my prospective supervisor.
ETH and Delft - Good GPA, reco letter, SOP matching the requirements of the course , good
TOEFL score

Third year internship at NUS, Singapore through their NUS - IRI research fellowship in the area
of power electronics.

The PhD programme at NUS is through NUS Research Scholarship which includes a full tution
fee subsidy and a monthly stipend. You have to choose this option in the application form.
ETH - There is Excellence Scholarship. I did not apply.
TU Delft - offers many full and partial scholarships. No separate application but your application
has to be submitted before 1st November
SOP and LOR advice?

In SOP, stick to what is required for the particular programme.
Only ask recos from professors who know your work and you are certain that they will write a
strong positive recommendation.
All the best !!
Fall 2013
Name
Karthika Purushothaman
Program
MS in Software Management

314

Reason for Admits

Had a good interview
Rejects
Duke
Dartmouth
ETH Zurich
Reason for Rejects

Pointer cutoff and profile did not match
8.20

Indian Institute of Science
Think and Learn Pvt Ltd

Yes, CMU offers RA in the first year and TA in your second year

Yes
SOP and LOR advice?

Should have relevant work experience in the field you applying to
Fall 2013
Name
Chirag Mahapatra
Program
MS in IEOR focusing on Optimization

328

- UC Berkeley
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- ISB
Rejects
- Stanford University
- Harvard University (M.S. in Computer Science)
Reason for Rejects

- Pointer was low.
- No undergrad degree in Computer Science.
8.20

I got two loan scholarships from India.
- Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarship
- KC Mahindra Scholarship
Loan scholarships are very useful for cash flow and have zero interest. Also they let you network
with a good cohort who goes to US for grad school. Was able to pay most of my fees with this.
SOP and LOR advice?

- Be genuine.
- Do not be vague or superfluous.
- Follow standards of academic writing (E.g. If you are quoting something/someone cite it)
- Talk with your professors who will be recommending you very early.
Finally, remember to thank them when you get an admit so they will be motivated to write LoRs
for future batches.
Fall 2014
7.52
Name
Vijay Thyagarajan R
Program
MS in ECE (MEMS and VLSI)

327 (170,157,4)

Georgia Institute of Technology
Reason for Admits

Although my CGPA is pretty low I think I got an admit because of these two reasons:
1.) I did two summer internships at CeNSE, IISc, under the guidance of the same Prof and
worked in the same area (MEMS Pressure Sensors). This helped me to gain through
understanding and practical experience in all aspects namely design, simulation and fabrication.
This also enabled to me to publish one national conference paper (before applying) and one
international journal paper (after getting MS admit). I strongly believe the depth of research
work helped me in securing the MS admit. Finally working for two summer under the same Prof
helped me build a great rapport with him and he gave me a very strong LOR.
2.) I want to specialize in a niche field (MEMS) and the competition is not as intense as VLSI or
Comp Arch. I was lucky to discover a niche field that interested me in second year itself.
You will already know that a good SoP and a good GRE score are a must.
Rejects
UCB, UMich, Pursue, Uni of Minnesota, Uni of Washington
Reason for Rejects

Low CGPA!! :D I don't think I would have cleared the screening cutoff itself.

I've describe all this in the answer for the question 'Why do you think you got an admit ?'.

Students admitted to any PhD program will surely get TA or RA. Students admitted to MS in
ECE can try to get TA or RA after completing one semester of MS.
Students admitted to MS in Mech usually get RA.
SOP and LOR advice?

Don't get too technical in your SoP. Make sure that a non technical reviewer is able to grasp what
your trying to convey.
Get your SoP reviewed by at least 5-6 people. At least one guy from NW :P
I advice that you take LORs from Profs who know you for more than a year and you have done
good work under them either in courses or projects.
Remember that a low CGPA can be a hurdle but it's definitely not something you can't
overcome!!
Also don't give up on tech prematurely and decide to prepare for CAT; only in India we are
required to memorize utter nonsense for exams. Feel free to ping me if you want to know any
other details; now I should get back to my efforts in trying to pass in endsems :D
Fall 2013
8.73
Name
T. Karthikeyan
Program
MS EE

320

1. University of Minnesota Twin Cities
2. Arizona State University
3. University of Southern California
Reason for Admits

Good match of my interest, Good GPA, NITK Brand
Rejects
UCSB, Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin-Madison, VT
Reason for Rejects

No idea. I feel that admits are random sometime and it is difficult to predict even after you have
a good profile. Maybe the people who got had a better profile than me.

1. Interned in a private firm after 2nd year.
2. Interned in IISc after third year.
SOP and LOR advice?

Keep your SoP simple. There is noway that you would have wanted to become an Electrical
Engineer when you were born. SoP should serve a purpose of why would you like to pursue your
higher studies and what is your end goal.
Apping is really a long process. Ideal time to get started is the end of third year. You should plan
for GRE and Toefl from your 5th or 6th semester and be done with it at the end of summer. Start
your applications early (October - November). Get recommendations from good professors who
are actively involved in research and hold atleast a PhD. A good work experience also helps you
get good admits.
Have self belief. Wait game is very critical.
Fall 2015
9.50
Name
Abhishek Malali
Program
MS in Computational science and engineering

327(170,157,4)

Harvard University
UC Berkeley
Cornell University
Georgia Institute of technology
Reason for Admits

GPA was a factor. But they look at relevance of what you had done in those 4 years and how you
align it with the course you were looking for.
Rejects
Stanford University
Reason for Rejects

Stanford said they had a lot of qualified applicants last year. Quite a bummer. Even more so they
supposedly have a strict TOEFL cutoff at 110 and my score was 107.

Indian academy of sciences fellowship in 2012.
Mitacs Globalink Research Intern in 2013.

Nope. My course has a continual course called the M.Eng. So if I am keen on a thesis, I can
apply for it a year down the line. To apply to that I need a advisor who will be ready to fund.

Narotam Sekhsaria scholarship
JN Tata Endowment Fund
KC Mahindra Scholarship
INLAKS scholarship
SOP and LOR advice?

Dont wait for getting LORs at the end. Set them up and intimate profs as soon as you are a
month from finishing the application. For SOPs genuine advice would be reflect on your life and
see how you have come to a stage where only grad studies matter.
Fall 2015
8.30
Name
Nikhil S
Program
MS in CS (Artificial Intelligence)

318 (166, 152, 4)

Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (MS in CS)
Arizona State University - Polytechnic Campus, Mesa, Arizona (MS in IT)
Reason for Admits

I had about 2 years of work experience in the software industry at the time of application. I had
worked on a few projects and interned in the topics of my interest. I applied for the same
specialization in MS in CS. I had shown a clear intent as to why I was switching.
Rejects
University of California - Santa Cruz
University of Maryland - College Park
University of California - Irvine
North Carolina State University
University of California - San Diego
University of Southern California
Reason for Rejects

Switching branches is a quite a challenging affair. Some universities strictly consider
undergraduate academics. Since I officially (read on the transcript) did not have necessary
exposure in the required basic fields of CS, I think I was rejected. Also, the ones that rejected me
were mostly ambitious considering my profile.

2nd year internship @ IISc, Bangalore: Research on topics related to Artificial Intelligence,
Machine Learning and deploying various learning techniques on a certain data set.
3rd year internship @ Virtual Logic Systems, Bangalore: Project on ""Speed and Position
control of Steering Wheel in a Driving Simulator"". I had to program micro-controllers in order
to control the feedback provided by a DC motor linked with the steering wheel, to simulate a
realistic scenario.

Obtaining RA/TA is very difficult for an MS student. Very few of the students have been known
to be offered TAs. One needs to have very good GPA, a good TOEFL score especially a very
good Speaking score and a good rapport with the professor to obtain a TA. Nevertheless one
shouldn't lose hope. One can always strive hard to get a TA. RAs are usually reserved for PhD
students as far as I know.

I applied for a scholarship at Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation, but they denied offering one.
SOP and LOR advice?

I recommend the students to draft their own SoPs. Do not approach any consultancy regarding
applications unless there is a severe lack of confidence. Go through a lot of guidelines regarding
SoPs, Study a few sample SoPs but do not copy them. You need to work on your SoPs for a few
weeks at least. It is not possible to jot the entire thing down in a day. Some amount of
introspection is necessary before starting away with the SoP. You need to show a very strong
motivation and should promise your dedicated efforts at the University being applied to. Get
your SoP evaluated by one or two subject experts, one or two language experts (preferably
friends) and one close friend who knows about you very well. Don't go about getting it evaluated
by many people for too many cooks spoil the broth. Seniors can come in handy many times. Be
honest in portraying yourself.
For your personal statement (not SoP), it is best that you get it reviewed by your parents/siblings,
your best friend and one language expert.
Maintain a good rapport with the professors / managers who provide LoRs. Keep in touch with
them often and do not lose contact as soon as you get a bunch of admits. The professors will be
really happy to see you shine. Do pay them a visit at NITK whenever you come to India during
your vacations.
All the best! Start applying to the colleges as soon as they open up for the particular season.
Remember that many colleges provide rolling admits, and so the early bird gets the worm.
Also, try to get in touch with the professors at the Universities you are applying to. Explore the
courses, academic requirements, rules and regulations, course schedules and history of course
offerings, ongoing projects, reviews about faculty at the concerned university and the in domain
you are interest in thoroughly before applying.
Explore forums like Edulix, Stupidsid, Collegepond to find out more about MS. You can get a
lot of information from seniors and your batch mates who are already studying or have
graduated.
Fall 2015
8.80
Name
Rohan Tirumale
Program
MS in EE

327(170,157,4)

1) UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-ANN ARBOR
2) UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
3) UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER
4)STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK-BUFALLO
5) ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Reason for Admits

The fact that my profile was well streamlined, and that I had a fair idea of what my goals were.
Rejects
1) UIUC
2) UC Irvine
3)Penn State
Reason for Rejects

CGPA. Lack of clarity in SOPs

1) Summer 2014- Interned at a US video advertising firm under the guidance of a data scientist.
And worked with a team that build a machine learning algorithm.
2) Summer 2013- Interned at IISc. Worked on a project based on mathematical significance of
different transforms.

Yes.
Direct contact with a professor is usually the most common way. Apart from which some
positions have applications that need to filled, after which you might be interviewed for the
position.
Start early. Plan everything from writing GRE, to submitting the application well in advance. All
the best!
Fall 2015
Name
Srivatsa
Program
ms in ee(VLSI)

323(168 155 4)

North Carolina state university
Arizona state university
SUNY buffalo
Reason for Admits

Research interns
Good recommendations from professors and a research lab director
Rejects
CMU
Tamu
Georgia
Usc
7.87
Reason for Rejects

The main reason has to be low GPA

2 interns - one at DRDO and another at isro

Some do but they mostly don't give them before joining. As for applying it comes along with the
application form
SOP and LOR advice?

Sop - try to write direct to the point SOP's. Don't beat around the bush to much better r make up
stories using fancy words. Indicate your genuine interests and why the college is the right place
to pursue those interests.
Lor - try to get them from people who you've worked under. Preferably professors or other
academics. A general lor stating you do well in class subjects does not convey you're research
skills and that's what colleges look for.
Best of luck. Apply wisely!
Fall 2015
9.08
Name
Sharath NS
Program
MS in Signal Processing

324(170,154,4.5)

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Reason for Admits

My research projects and areas of interests closely matched with the research of some profs at
the universities.
Fall 2015
Name
M R Sampath
Program
MS in CE

336 (170,166,5.0)

University of Texas, Dallas
Reason for Admits

Good GRE score. Dedicated internships.
Rejects
Purdue university, Virginia tech, Texas a&m, Georgia tech, Arizona state university
Reason for Rejects

Comparatively low cgpa, lack of papers

Gill instruments (2nd year), HAL (3RD year)
7.65

Yes, I do plan on applying. You are considered for ta along with your admission itself in utd. For
ra, you need to contact profs directly after admission
SOP and LOR advice?

Be truthful, succinct and very technical
Fall 2015
9.31
Name
Sunil Sreedhar
Program
MS in Electrical Engineering Systems (Power and Energy)

315(150,165,3.5)

ETH Zurich, Switzerland
University of California, Irvine
Reason for Admits

DAAD funded research experience in the field related to the specialisation of the masters
program. Good CGPA when reduced to 4 point due to more AB grade in courses at NITK.
Projects that showed my intent to work in the field of power and energy. Good performance in
the core electrical subjects. Also, decent LORs.
Rejects
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of Texas, Austin
University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign

University of Washington, Seattle
Purdue University
Georgia Tech
Reason for Rejects

GRE score proved to be a deciding factor for Georgia Tech decision. Purdue expects the student
to be top 2-3 in the their respective branches (Use your rank certificate). Wisconsin, UT Austin
though had a specific program in power and energy my research experience couldn't cover up for
my poor GRE score. One issue for UTA, UIUC was that my german professor couldn't give me a
LOR.

After second year: Application oriented project at Gill Instruments, Bangalore and Trainee at
Electrical Department, Holcim Cement Plant, Tuban, Indonesia
After fifth semester: Power Systems simulation training at Opal-RT Technologies
After sixth semester: Research Assistantship at Technical University of Munich, Germany under
the DAAD WISE program

Yes, I plan to apply for RA after first semester of MS program.
I plan to take courses offered by the professor I want to work under and hopefully perform well
there. Also, previous research work at TUM should help.

Yes, but its pretty hard to get for MS program.
SOP and LOR advice?

SOP: Have a small introduction about why you choose that specialisation. Then explain the
series of events that led you to take that decision be it projects, courses or internships. End your
write up about why you choose that university with a mention of professors, labs.
LOR: Get one from outside college about your intent to work in a research environment, one
from your major project guide about area of work and one from the instructor of courses where
you have got AA grade explaining about how attentive, studious you are.
Don't lie about anything in your application.
Finish GRE early (By September 15)
Get SOP reviewed by 5-6 people and write it on your own.
My email id: sunil509h@gmail.com
Fall 2012
Electronics & Communication Engineering
Name
Kishan Ganapathi
Program
MS in VLSI and Computer Architecture

1440

University of California - Santa Barbara
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Arizona State University
Reason for Admits

Decent GPA + Good and honest recos from good profs + Pretty decent internship
Rejects
8.72
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Reason for Rejects

GPA not high enough.

Internship at IIsc.
Industrial training at KIOCL (not great)
SOP and LOR advice?

Get SoPs reviewed by at least 2 independent people who have very good written communication
skills.
Recos Make sure profs fill them quickly. Some universities have rolling admissions.
Fall 2012
Name
Srinivas Rajendra
Program
MS in Analog IC design

331

Usc
Ncsu
Reason for Admits

They were the safe colleges
Rejects
Stanford
UT austin
TAMU
Georgia Tech
UCSD
basically got a reject from everywhere
9.30
Reason for Rejects

My recos. The profs screwed up

2 in IISC
SOP and LOR advice?

Make sure the prof knows you well and can write a strong reco. Just saying he took this course
and got an A doesn't count at all.
Fall 2014
Name
Akshay Pattabi
Program
PhD in EE (device technology/nanomagnetism)

330 (170,160,4.5)

1) Univ of California, Berkeley (Direct PhD)
2) Stanford University (MS)
3) Georgia Tech (PhD)
4) Purdue University (PhD)
5) Univ of California, Santa Barbara (PhD)
Reason for Admits

1) Strong research background in the field of interest (See later section)
2) Academic consistency (CGPA)
3) Focused statement of purpose
Rejects
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
9.89
Reason for Rejects

1) No publications
2) NIT << IIT
3) It's MIT, after all

1) Summer 2011 at IISc Bangalore (Dr Anil Kumar PS, Dept of Physics, Spintronics and Thin
Film Magnetism Lab) on Magneto Optical Kerr Effect
2) Summer 2012 at IIT Delhi Summer 2013 (Dr Joby Joseph, Photonics Lab, Dept of Physics) on
Photonic crystals
3) Summer 2013 DAAD Fellowship at Univ of Goettingen, Germany (Dr Markus Muenzenberg,
II Physics Institute, Spin and Ultrafast Magnetism Group)

Yes
SOP and LOR advice?

SoP:
1) Strong (preferably personal, but not cliche) opening.
2) Previous research achievements (for PhD esp) - Give a very brief mention (about 2-3
sentences each), be very technical but do not be detailed. Tell them how these will help or are in
line with your planned research.
3) What exactly you plan to do for your research and why you want to work on it (2 solid
paragraphs depending on word limit). THIS WILL NEED A LOT OF READING UP ON THE
FIELD OF INTEREST. Some technicality is nice, but do not get way too technical here, though.
4) Which faculty you want to work under in the univ (mention 2-3) and why. Avoid cliches, be
specific and technical.
5) VERY brief mention of academic standing in college, extracurricular activities, writing skills,
interpersonal skills, charity work etc.
6) Any other reasons you want to join the university (eg. It is a university of international repute
with xx Nobel Laureates associated with it etc.) How admission to this college will help your
academic and overall development.
LoR:
1) Choose and ask professors way beforehand. July/early Aug preferably.
2) My mantra - One from a research intern professor where your work was impressive/ of a great
repute/ from a reputed institute. One from a professor who knows you well as a TEACHER.
Third professor can be a research guide or another teacher; I asked my major project guide.
Good luck, peeps. Mail me at akshaypattabi@gmail.com if you need to ask anything else.
Fall 2014
Name
Yashas M.S.
Program
PhD in EC (Communication Engineering)

321 (167,154,4)

Georgia Tech
University of Michigan Ann Arbor (MS)

Indian institute of Science and Broadcom corporation

Georgia offered a TA
9.54
Fall 2015
7.61
Name
Nithin Kamath
Program
MS in EE (Computer Engineering)

326 (166,160,4.5)

NCSU, TAMU
Reason for Admits

NCSU because (the rumour is that) they accept people with GRE quant scores >165. Also, I
applied for Computer Architecture and they take in a decent number of people for it. TAMU
because I applied to the place and they had openings that weren't filled yet!
Rejects
CMU, UMich, GaTech, USC, UCSD, UWisconsin, UMinnesota
Reason for Rejects

All the top universities need a good CGPA. A good profile isn't enough. Also, I applied quite late
to all of them (for USC, my documents reached very late)

Prof in department after second year and a freelance researcher/independent consultant after third
year

Yes, I have plans of applying. I wish to apply to a professor who's area of interest matches mine
and who teaches the courses to undergrad students that are relevant to my area of interest. But
first, I will have to do well in his course and so, I will apply in the 2nd semester.
SOP and LOR advice?

You would obviously want to get recos from the senior profs or the profs with a really good
background. Unless you have worked under them for a considerable amount of time or have
taken at least 2 courses of theirs, it is hard to get a convincing reco from their side. Try getting
recos from these profs as early as possible because they tend to reject the guys who ask towards
the end due to overload of reco requests and other duties.
To be frank, grad committees do not have enough time to read your SoPs. So do not have too
many expectations from having a superbly written SoP. But you should definitely write a good
and concise one so that, in case they do read it, they understand why you want to apply for the
degree and your undergrad background that led you to your decision to apply.
Choose your universities well by doing some thorough research before you apply. Apply to those
which have good courses and profs for your (intended) area of specialization. Also, we seniors
are always there to help! Send us your CV's and SoPs , if you would like us to review them for
you (In my case, ECE people only). All the best! :)
Fall 2013
8.20
Name
VIKRAM SHENOY HANDIRU
Program
PhD in Brain Computer Interface

I had applied for direct PhD program (after B.Tech) at NUS and NTU Singapore. I got an offer
from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Reason for Admits

NTU Singapore had India-Outreach program, where some of the NTU Profs come to India
(Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai) and conducted interviews for shortlisted PhD applicants. The best
part about NTU and NUS is that, they also accept GATE scores. My GATE score of >99.1
percentile and couple of research publications (including a peer-reviewed journal) added good
value for my application. There were 2 rounds of interviews, one at Mumbai and another via
skype. Also, good recommendation letters must have helped my application further.
Rejects
National University of Singapore
Reason for Rejects

I had applied to NUS in November 2012 to try my luck although I did not give GRE or GATE
(as it was in Feb'13). Unfortunately my application was rejected. Two main factors could be that,
(1) I had not got the reviews of the journal at the time of application, (2)I had not given
GRE/GATE

Summer Internship at IISc. (2 summers, 1 winter) and 1 robotics internship during the
summer'10.

PhD program is fully funded. In addition, we get generous amount of stipend.

Yes, I got NTU Research scholarship. It is quite substantial (2000SGD per month till the PhD
qualification exam and 2500 SGD p.m after quals).
SOP and LOR advice?

Get your SoPs reviewed by your seniors, friends (batchmates) and non-expert relatives (cousin).
Everyone will give different opinion and suggestion, which helps to improve your SoP. DO NOT
COPY PASTE your friends'/ seniors' SoP, as the professors or student admission committee will
certainly know just by looking at your SoP. So, be original. Also, try to get the letter of
recommendation from Senior professors (Director/HoD > Full Prof/Senior Scientist > Assoc
Prof/Senior Engineer > Assistant professor). If the Professor has an international visibility, it
helps a lot. It is very likely that senior professors have more contacts and international visibility,
which helps your application.
If any suggestions are required, please feel free to ask me, vikkyshenoy@gmail.com
Fall 2015
Name
Venkateshwar K
Program
MS in EE/CE (Digital VLSI)

331(170, 161, 4)

Texas A&M University,
University of Minnesota Twin Cities,
University of California Santa Barbara,
University of Arizona,
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Rejects
University of Texas Austin,
Purdue University,
University of Wisconsin Madison,
8.90

After 1st Year => National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL)
After 2nd Year => DARE, DRDO
After 3rd Year => Texas Instruments

Yes, I was offered a graduate tuition scholarship at the University of Arizona. You are
automatically considered when you apply to UoA.
Fall 2015
Name
Arjun
Program
MS in Comp Arch

326(163,163,4)

NCSU,ASU
Reason for Admits

they were'nt too ambitious
Rejects
UCSD,UCSB,UCI,UMD,OSU,UPenn
Reason for Rejects

GPA needed to be higher and a more relevant research oriented intern might have helped.

one at an electronic design services firm and another at NAL
7.90
SOP and LOR advice?

go early and get recos.start on your sop by September and that'll probably give you more clarity
on which university to add to your list.
give your gre over the summer.finish your applications by november. recos are the only delay
you'll face while submitting your application. getting it sorted out earlier would help. make sure
to always give a good verbose cv to the recommender.
Fall 2015
Name
Adarsh Murthy
Program
MS in EE

320

Columbia University in the state of New York
Reason for Admits

Foreign Research internship in the field I applied for and a publication.

Research internship in Universidad Politecnica de Madrid

Yes. You have to be selected as a Tesla Scholar in case of Columbia.
6.28
SOP and LOR advice?

In the SoPs, be sure to mention all your achievements and make yourself look good. Briefly
explain aboit your internships and do talk about the projects you've undertaken in College.
As for LoRs, make sure your prof makes it look personal, that he knows you and recognizes you,
not just a general reco.
Fall 2015
Name
Arjun Aravind
Program
MS in EE (VLSI Design)

316 (167, 149, 4)

USC, Los Angeles
UMich, Ann Arbor
UMD, College Park
UMN, Twin Cities
GaTech, Shenzen, China
Reason for Admits

GPA and Related internship at HEPIA, Geneva
Rejects
Boston University
Harvard University
9.36
UCLA, Beverly Hills

Purdue University
Reason for Rejects

Low GRE score for EE courses in said colleges

1 technical internship at HEPIA, Geneva

Applied but didnt get
SOP and LOR advice?

Describe yourself that distinguishes you from the rest and not cover the things covered in your
resume in your SoP.
Fall 2015
9.29
Name
Ajaykrishnan N
Program
PhD in ECE (Communication)

325(168,157,3.5)

UMCP,UCLA,UMich,UCSD,ETH Zurich
Reason for Admits

Decent GPA, good amount of research in the field of my specialization and LORs from profs
who are well known in this field.
Rejects
UIUC,UTA

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore - Second Year,
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai - Third Year

I have been offered a Research Assistantship + Fellowship.

No, PhD students are automatically considered for financial aid.
SOP and LOR advice?

LORs are very important when it comes to PhD admission. They must be from profs with whom
you have closely worked with and can therefore comment upon your research potential. A
general LOR from a prof under whom you have done some course will not do you any good.
Any recommender should comment upon your specific strength/weaknesses and should not be
generic.
SOP should be simple and to the point. It should describe your motivation behind doing your
MS/PhD, why you have chosen that particular field, various projects and internships you have
undertaken and what you plan to do after your MS/PhD.
For PhD applicants, it is very important to mention 2-3 specific profs under whom you wish to
work with and mention the reason why you want to work under them.
Nil
Fall 2015
8.98
Name
SUPREETH PRAJWAL S
Program
PhD in DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING

322 (168, 154, 3.5)

1) Georgia Institute of Technology
2) University of Maryland, College Park
3) Johns Hopkins University
Reason for Admits

Well, I really do not know how the admission process works in US universities :P !!! Some blogs
say that SOPs are important. Some say they don't even look at SOPs. Some of my seniors and
professors said, the universities won't even look at the LORs!!! Some say due to the sheer
volume of applications, your CGPA and GRE scores is all that matters!!!!
So, I believe that it is always better to have a decent CGPA ( above 8.5), good GRE score, and a
good research profile (if applying for PhD) to have better chances of getting accepted. And by
the way CGPA does really matter(if you are aiming at universities like UIUC, UT Austin etc.)
!!!!!! So, to summarize, I can say I got into these places since I had a decent GPA and a decent
research profile (Couple of research internships with 2 international conference publications and
1 journal publication)
Rejects
1) Stanford University
2) UCLA
3) UIUC
Reason for Rejects

Continuing from my answer to the question ""Why do you think you got accepted at these
places?"", I really do not know on what criterion I got accepted into those universities and why I
was rejected from these universities. Although I can for sure say that I had no chance of getting
into Stanford (Courtesy me not being a class topper and me belonging to NIT and not from any
IIT!!)
So, I guess, having a low gpa (yes 8.98 is pretty low compared to the higher 9s) might have been
one of the reasons to not to get accepted into the above universities. My AWA was also pretty
low (3.5) considering I was applying to PhD.

1) Summer 2013: Research intern at IIT Guwahati
2) Winter 2013: Research intern at IIT Guwahati
3) Summer 2014: Qualcomm, Bangalore
4) Winter 2014: Research intern at IIT Guwahati

Yes, most of the time RA/TA positions are offered to PhD students. Very rarely do the
universities offer funding to MS students. In few lucky cases, if the professor under whom you
are working gets impressed with your work, he might offer you a TA/RA. But that is very rare
since the phd students are given a higher priority over MS students.
So, if you are planning to pursue MS, plan to fund your education from your own personal funds
since chances of getting an RA/TA are very low.
However, this is not the case for PhD students, since in a majority of the cases, you will be
awarded RA/TA.

Nope. A CGPA of 8.98 is pretty to low to get any scholarship :P !!
SOP and LOR advice?

SOPs:
Since admissions office will be looking through thousands of applicants every year, they will not
have all the time to go through an SOP that is 3-4 pages long. Keep your SOPs short and crisp
and to the point. Don't go about weaving a story about how some incident in your childhood
inspired you to take up engineering, blah blah blah!!! They will outrightly reject your
application.
Some points to note while writing your SOP:
1) Mention about all the projects that you have completed
2) Mention about all the research/industrial internships you have undertaken, and what you
achieved and learnt out of them
3) Mention about all the publications (if any)
4) Mention the names of the professors under whom you would want to work under.
Please don't add any extra masala onto your SOPs !!! :P
Letter of recommendation:
Try to get LORs from your major project guide, professors who took classes for you and your
internship professors. Universities prefer LORs from professors rather than from Industrial
employees. Although I do know of few of my friends who got LORs from their managers at
Qualcomm, Intuit etc. who have got MS admits into really good universities. So unless your
profile is really good, it is better to get LORs from professors."
For PhD applicants:
Unless you have a good research profile (i.e 1 or 2 research internships) without 1 or 2 research
publications (Conference/Journal), I would suggest you to apply for MS instead. GRE cut-offs
are a little relaxed for PhD applicants compared to MS applicants. It is always good to mail the
professors under whom you would want to work and get to know if they are recruiting any PhD
students before applying to that University. Because, in the case of PhD applications, if the
professors to whom you would have applied for are not taking any students, then even if your
profile is really good, you will be rejected.
For MS applicants:
Since, you will be applying to MS, the university will not expect you to have a really good
research experience. So it would be really good if you could score GRE in the high 320s and
TOEFL in the high 110s for your application to stand out from the rest. GRE and GPA are really
important in the case of MS applications.
One tip I would like to give to all the applicants: Choose your universities wisely. Just because
you have a GRE score of 335+ doesn't entail you to apply to MIT, Stanford, UCB etc.!!! Just
because you have 5-6 publications, you shouldn't apply to the above universities. Your profile
should be good on all fronts (ie GRE, GPA, TOEFL, research profile) in order to have better
chances of getting an acceptance from the top 5 universities. Being really good in only one of the
above constraint will not get you an acceptance. So, do choose your list of universities depending
on your overall profile.
Feel free to contact me if you have any queries ( I am sure each and everyone of you will have
lot of questions in mind). Since I am from ECE, I will be able to answer queries with regards to
EE/ECE. For other branches, I am afraid I cannot help you guys much due to my little
knowledge about the admission process wrt other process.
My mail id: prajwalsupreeth@gmail.com
Fall 2015
9.45
Name
Amit Raj
Program
MS in ECE (Signal Processing)

333(168,165,5)

University of Michigan
CMU
Reason for Admits

I did not have any research internships or papers to my name, so I guess the strength of my
profile fell back to my pointer and the projects I had done in college.
It helped me that the projects I had done, were associated with my recommenders who.
The profs who gave me recommendations were familiar with my work, and I believe this plays
an important role in getting strong recos.
Rejects
UCB
UCSD
Reason for Rejects

UCB is extremely pointer dependent, and historically, at least in ECE, only the class toppers
have received admits there.
The program i applied to in UCSD, (signal and Image processing) is a strong program, and I
suppose, the lack of papers or research internships caused some harm there.

Interned at HAL and worked on Automatic flight control system
Worked on Retinal image segmentation at Forus health bangalore
Worked on Controller for Tightly coupled memory at Qualcomm Bangalore

Yes, Georgia Tech does offer RA and TA positions.
I plan on applying to them after a semester, after working closely with one of the profs on a
project.
SOP and LOR advice?

For Statements of Purpose, it is absolutely essential to get it reviewed by as many people as you
can. This does not mean that you need to get it checked by everyone in your class.
Start writing your SOPs early, because it is the single most important piece of document, which
the admission committee will use, to judge your capabilities. Your resume, lists all your projects,
so in your SOP you must mention the take aways from each project and how each project helped
you towards the field you are applying to.
Get your SOP reviewed by a prof also if possible. Being on the other side of the process, they
might be able to give you some inputs that can make your SOP better.
Fall 2015
Information Technology
8.32
Name
Vikas Mohandoss
Program
MS in CS ( Machine Learning )

326(168,158,4.5)

Columbia university
University of California Irvine
University of southern California
Reason for Admits

Research internships in field of interest aligned very well especially for Columbia ( worked on
an algo a prof at Columbia created and made modifications to improve it) (ml)
Rejects
Ut Austin
Georgia tech
Cmu
Upenn
UCLA
UCSD
Uiuc
Reason for Rejects

GPA , not enough research put into statement of purpose - started application very late.

1st year - startup intern at prime focus tech
2nd year - research intern at iiit bangalore (ml)
2nd year winter - research intern at CMU winter school (ml)
3rd year - Samsung rnd

Application for ta/ra after first sem depending on performance
SOP and LOR advice?

Thorough research on university fit and aligenment of
Mutual interests with university, profs ( past work, future goals etc) . Better to start working on
application as early as possible (from Aug). Reco from profs who know you well. Academic
recos > industry.
Fall 2015
6.20
Name
Akanksha Sharma
Program
MS in Natural Resources and Environment

320 (160, 160, 4.5)

University of Arizona (MS with specialization in Natural Resource Studies)
University of Michigan (MS with specialization in Conservation Ecology)
I will be pursuing an MS with concentration in Biodiversity Conservation
Reason for Admits

Honestly, of all the entries in this log, my entry will probably be the strangest (and longest) one.
And I had to work for it big time. A change in field is always challenging, and when it is
something so entirely different from what you have ever done, it becomes even more
challenging.
I worked at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore for a year and did some really good and
meaningful research work, and that exposure actually helped me zero in on my specialization too
and decide on what I would like to do, so this is really important if you are looking to change
your field completely.
In spite of having no academic background and a completely shit GPA (6.2, I don't mind
revealing it), I managed to get into these amazing programs because of the following key reasons
I guess:
a) Research: Good research experience at a place with a great reputation and a Professor who is a
big name in the industry
b) SOP: A pretty good SOP which I worked on with a lot of help from friends, alumni and other
contacts who are from this domain
c) Recommendations: Valuable recommendations, one from my IISc Prof that I had no control
over, and 2 really well written ones from NITK and from KPMG, my previous place of work,
which I (and friends) wrote entirely :P
d) Nature of Program: These programs I chose emphasized that they were interdisciplinary, and
although the domain was completely different, I tried to focus on the skills that I was able to
obtain as an engineer and an analyst at KPMG and make them work as positives rather than
negatives. I focused on my versatility and that seemed to work!
e) Time of Preparation: Starting your planning well in advance is key. To apply for Fall 2015, I
had to start preparing in January 2014. Not everyone would need this much time, but if you are
planning to change your field of study, you probably will. I first quit my job, served out my
notice of 2 months, applied at several research institutions and pursued it relentlessly till I got
something. Over this time, you can finish your GRE and TOEFL stuff so that you've got that out
of the way, and then you gotta work towards making yourself deserving of an admit really.
Research work, lots of reading, start looking for universities and programs, and by October or so,
it would be a good idea to have a few places shortlisted and start contacting the Professors!
f) Graduate Advisors: Applying for an MS in a field like this is a completely different ball game.
Unlike the commonly pursued MS programs, these have much fewer seats and funding, so
almost all the universities expect you to have a Graduate Advisor to get accepted. To ensure this,
you must start contacting faculty well in advance just like you would for a PhD program.
Although I was deemed admissible to another place (University of Wisconsin-Madison), I did
not get an 'admit' because I could not secure an advisor there. The biggest challenge for me was
to convince faculty that I was a good option to take on despite my extremely unconventional
background and lack of academic knowledge, but I kept mailing Profs everywhere, sent out
around a 100 mails, reminders etc., and managed to find an advisor at UA only after all that. But
a Prof who I had made contact with at UMich way back in September '14 accepted to take me as
a student eventually in April '15 although she had initially thought she wouldn't have room for
another student back in September, and so I got an advisor there too! So you never know what
may happen, you just have to keep pursuing it. And unless you get an advisor, you will probably
not be able to get an admit if your case is anything like mine.
Rejects
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Washington
Rice University
No response so far from:
Texas A&M
Reason for Rejects

More than anything, I guess my GPA. The first response of any kind I got was from UIUC who
said they couldn't consider my application because my GPA was too low. At UWash, my
application was under consideration right till the end but finally I didn't get accepted so I'd like to
think it was close (probably lost out because of GPA/Lack of background). Rice was supposed to
be my 'safe' school and I had only applied there thinking it was a good option for a back up (the
program was also kind of random but it was free to apply so I just did it anyway), and maybe that
reflected in my application, I probably didn't come out as sincere enough. PSU gave me a pretty
straightforward response pretty early that I hadn't gotten in and I'd assume it would have been the
GPA and lack of background itself.
TAMU again expected me to get a Grad Advisor for my application to be considered, and since
it wasn't such a great program and I found that Texas wasn't ideal in terms of my field, I chose
not to pursue it so guess I won't be getting a response from them either.

Not that it matters, but I did a 4 week internship in Oracle, Dubai in the Oracle University
division and a 6 week internship at Aricent, Bangalore.
After this, I worked for 10 months at KPMG Bangalore in the Management Consulting division
and for another year or so at IISc Bangalore (still working there from home :P), although at the
time of application it was around 6 months of work at IISc.

Yes

My Grad. Advisor at UMich applied for Financial Aid programs at UMich on my behalf, first
securing a $3000 fellowship, and then an Academic Leadership Fellowship worth $15000! So as
I said earlier, having a good advisor can really make things awesome.
Apart from this, I applied for the INLAKS Scholarship which people who are applying for notso-mainstream masters can apply to. I also applied to Ravi Sankaran's Fellowship Program
(another scholarship by INLAKS specifically for Biodiversity Conservation), but unlike the US,
people aren't so keen on giving chances to people with low grades back here in India, so I was
not even shortlisted for the interview phase in spite of having gotten an admit in one of the best
Conservation Ecology programs in the world (UMich) and even though UMich did give me a
fellowship! Of course, these are based on merit and they don't give much information about how
many people apply or what their criteria for judging is so I can't say anything about these for
sure, just that they have a very terrible way of organizing things, just one person that you can
actually contact who gets pissed off when you contact her, and it was all pretty weird and not
fun.
SOP and LOR advice?

Like I mentioned earlier, these are very important.
SOP - I stuck to the two pages for the SOP but my font size was very small (9 or even 8 in
some). Most universities allow you to upload a PDF and they can easily zoom in to read so I
suggest you could do this in case you are exceeding 2 pages (just don't make it lower than 8 :P). I
did not want to compromise on the content of my SOP so I took the risk of slightly exceeding the
word limit, but try not to go over by more that 50-100 words because they may not appreciate
that too much. Take a lot of inputs from your friends, good writers and editors, I had a lot of help
and support to make my SOP as good as it was. Because my engineering people wouldn't have
much idea about the field related information I was giving, I also contacted friends of friends
who had some idea about Environmental Science so that they could give me their opinions on the
domain related content. Use your social network as well as you can. This is key. Make a whole
bunch of people with different kinds of personalities read it because you don't know how the
admission committee will be, they will also probably be a group of very different people. You
will get a lot of inputs of course, and you have to use your sense to choose which inputs you
want to incorporate into your SOP, because in the end, it is your SOP and it should reflect the
kind of person that you are. But I really enjoyed the various points of view that I got on the SOP
and it was also a very fun excuse to connect with old friends and also make new ones.
Recos - so my reco scenario was pretty bad. IT Dept isn't really the best, actually it's pretty much
the worst, and I didn't make too many friends back when I was there so I knew this would be
challenging. I though the then HOD and my major project guide, GRM Reddy, would give me a
reco, but he was an absolute jerk! He was giving me a lot of trouble with it and once he found
out I was a 6 pointer he was so disrespectful and rude that I decided not to take one from him. It
is important to realize that more than the post of the person, the content of the recommendation
really matters. So I spoke to a Lecturer at the dept whose courses I had done pretty well in and
who hadn't been as awful, demoralizing, and unbothered as the others in the Dept, and since he
was quite busy, he asked me for some tips on what to write. I sent him a really good
recommendation about me (it's very difficult to write one for yourself so ask a friend to help, but
if your friend likes you too much it may turn out to be too many praises :P so you gotta ensure
that it's pretty toned down and believable), and the Lecturer at IT Dept used the same reco to
send everywhere. This way, I got a high quality recommendation from somebody whose courses
I had done relatively well in (two 9s and one 7), and because he was not a mean person who
didn't give a shit about me, he was actually the only one who submitted all the recos on time
without me having to do much about it or follow up much at all. He sent me confirmations once
he had submitted them, for me to check that they had been received and all, and I was overall
very happy that he didn't really create any issues at all. So get somebody cooperative, nice and
busy. It will really make things very easy for you.
My other two recos were from KPMG and from IISc. The KPMG one too I had to write and give
to my recommender, so here it's important to ensure that you don't use similar language and
sentences or repeat too many of the same points. But you should highlight the things that you
would really like to be emphasized by bringing them up in all your recos if you have that kind of
liberty and opportunity. That could be helpful. The one from IISc was completely by my Prof so
I have no idea what it was, but he is a real expert in the field so that certainly helped my case a
lot. I also provided him some points on what I would appreciate him mentioning in my reco, here
too, bring up the points that you would specifically like to emphasize. Of course, I must mention
that you can't really bullshit in your reco if you get to write it, you obviously have to write
something that your recommender should be willing to send.
Ultimately I guess what's most important is to find a recommender who you have a good
working relationship with and somebody who respects you, believes in your abilities and wants
to see you move ahead in life.
I have written far too much I guess, and not many people would want to be doing what I've done,
but if you do, I hope this helps, and you can always contact me for more info or help on
acd_2911@hotmail.com
Fall 2015
8.17
Name
Samyukta
Program
MS in CS (HCI)

329

University of Michigan - MSI
Georgia Tech - MS CS
NYU - MIS
NCSU - MS CS
ASU - MCS
Reason for Admits

Focussed statement of purpose highlighting everything relevant in undergrad and career. SOP
had clear objective, my background in the area, my SPECIFIC interest area, Mentioning current
university work in that area, How this course will help me achieve my objective.
University of Toronto - waitlisted
Rejects
UIUC - MS CS
UCI - MS SE
Reason for Rejects

UIUC is extremely selective and probably my GPA and research background wasn't strong
enough. My SOP was too general for this college, didnt refer to any faculty's work.
UCI - again very generalized SOP and slightly random in applying for this specialization

Company and startup. Not ones that standup via brand name but definitely work that related to
what I am applying for (HCI)

Yes and yes I do plan to apply. No info yet

Yes, unsuccessfully . Few Indian ones to try are the TATA and the Narotam Sekhsari
scholarships.
SOP and LOR advice?

Be clear on why you're applying for that field, what background you have in it, how this course
will help you (which projects interests you, which subjects, name profs etc etc) , what kind of
work would you like to involve in at the moment and in the long term.
Fall 2015
Name
Mayank Pahadia
Program
MS in Data Mining

327(168, 159, 3.0)

Penn state university
University of southern California

Research intern at Penn state(after third year)
Mahindra Satyam (after second year)
SOP and LOR advice?

Have a consultant loom at your sop. Try making good contacts with profs.
Publications are important and so is awa score.
8.96
Fall 2015
9.51
Name
Divya V
Program
MS in Computer science

322

CMU
UCSC
Reason for Admits

Strong SOP stating what I want to do in the future with my previous experience to support it.
Rejects
Stanford
UC Berkeley
Reason for Rejects

Too many applicants. Could not show excellent impact project which I think they are looking
for.

Both academic projects. 2nd year internship in college. Third year in TU Darmstadt with the
support of DAAD scholarship.

Yes. Need to get recommendation from professor and apply through college. Difficult to get in
first semester.
SOP and LOR advice?

It'll be good if the letter recommendations speak in detail about one or two qualities with
example. Each letter about different qualities so that they complement each other. You can do
this only if prof. Allows you to write your own reco. Otherwise all you can do is write a clear
SOP for which you need a goal and explain how the course will help you achieve it.
All the best to all!
Fall 2015
Name
Susmitha Pulakhandam
Program
MS Information Systems Management

158,169,5.5

CMU
TAMU
Cincinnati
Reason for Admits

A well writton SOP and projects that related well to the course
Rejects
University of Arizona
University of Indiana Bloomington
Reason for Rejects

They probably care more about GPA
7.12

A data analysis intern at IIMB after third year

Not planning to apply, not really sure how it works. But yes, they are offered.

Yes, applied for scholarships provided by CMU. The scholarships are discussed on the program
site.
SOP and LOR advice?

SOP:
Give yourself enough time. It took me about a month to write a decent SOP. You'll have to go
through many drafts and craft SOPs according to the institution.
Study other SOPs for content, flow, etc. but try writing your own from scratch. Don't use other
SOPs even as a framework, the more original your SOP is, the better. This is probably the best
thing you can do for your SOP.
Keep your SOP simple. Discuss your career/academic goals and experiences and relate them to
your course. Include your academic credentials , projects, and character strengths. Next mention
how the college and course will help you reach those goals. Be specific. You can close with what
you bring to the program as an individual.
LOR:
Approach professors, guides, etc. early. The more an individual worked with you, the stronger
the LOR will be.
It is a long, tedious process, but have heart! Keep deadlines in mind and take it one step at a
time. Good luck :)
Fall 2015
8.93
Name
Ruchika S
Program
MS in CS (Human Computer Interaction)

321(167, 154. 4.5)

1. University of California, San Diego
2. University of Southern California
Reason for Admits

First, research experience:
-
1 journal and 1 long paper publication in HCI
Projects done as part of my coursework at NITK and a few workshops (CMU Winter
School and MIT Media Lab workshops)
-
Research internship at IISc in my second year
Second, my SoP specifically talked about what I would want to do in my area of interest and the
motivation. I feel I was able to effectively put across all my motives.
Third, my academic credentials were decent enough too!
Rejects
1. University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Reason for Rejects

The acceptance rate being very narrow, these universities probably look for students with
extraordinary research experience and academic credentials. It might also have been a reason that
my research profile did not fit into what the university offers.

1. Student Trainee at Samsung R&D, Bangalore in my third year
2. Summer Intern at the Computer Science and Automation Department, IISc Bangalore in my
second year

Yes. At UCSD, all admitted students get to apply online for a TAship during every quarter of the
course.
At USC, there are no RA/TA positions available for Masters students.

No! The process was lengthy and I was running short of time.
SOP and LOR advice?

It definitely helps if you have had prior research experience in the field you are looking at. Your
SoP should evidently outline your research interests and future plans. Try to connect every
related work that you carried out during under graduation to what you would want to pursue at
the university, with more emphasis on research (especially if you are looking for research-
oriented MS). Give specific reasons as to why you chose the university/professor in particular,
and how well you fit into their program.
When it comes to letter of recommendations, it is extremely important that you have worked
closely with a professor from your department or elsewhere. The recommender should be able to
give specific details about the research work that was carried out by you. It helps if you have
written research papers with any of your recommenders.
Finish taking GRE and TOEFL exams by august so that you have enough time to complete
applications. It is very necessary to start early on every application. Research well on the
universities and the courses they offer. Carefully go through faculty profiles of every university
that you are looking at, and make a wise decision on where you would want to apply. The entire
phase is very intimidating and requires good amount of endurance, but it is totally worth putting
sincere efforts at every step.
All the best! :)
Fall 2014
Name
Sidharth Chaturvedi
Program
MS in Robotic Manufacturing

320 (168,152,4)

NCSU
ASU ( MS IN MECH)
RIT ( MS in MECH)
Rejects
University of Washington
McGill
University of Michigan
Reason for Rejects

Low pointer, No publication
Mechanical Engineering
7.20

1) Maruti Suzuki - Robotics Lab
2) Volvo Richer

RIT 50% waiver and RA
ASU
Fall 2014
8.15
Name
Dayassagar
Program
MS in Mechanical (Vibration and Acoustics)

323(164,159,4.5)

Pennsylvania State University (MS in Acoustics)
Chalmers University of Technology, Gotenburg (MSc in Sound and Vibration)
Reason for Admits

I have done some mildly related internship work and modeled my SOP appropriately. I possess
an average grade which means you are atleast not at a disadvantage if not have an edge. Also, the
areas and degrees I applied are not the most competitive ones.
Rejects
Virginia Tech (MS in Mechanical Engineering)
Reason for Rejects

Low grades, no publications and no work experience.

Summer project at IITM in my second year vacations and another at IISc in my third year
vacations.

No, in Europe there are no RA/TA positions.

Chalmers has 3 scholarships for Indian students: the Avancez, IPOET and VOLVO scholarships.
I did not get any of these.
SOP and LOR advice?

Try getting an LOR from a Math professor. They are usually quite willing and amicable. Many
professors do not like to write the recommendation themselves, so be prepared to write 2-3
different accounts of yourself.
SOPs are quite important in that, they highlight the parts of your resume that you deem as
relevant to your future field of study. Your SOP helps the admissions committee to connect the
dots of the various activities you have done in college. It is your job to make sure that connecting
those dots is easy, clear cut and compelling. Make sure you DO NOT copy an SOP.
I am still waiting for a few other universities at the time of filling up this information(4 actually).
My advice could have been more correct and complete after I got the remaining 4 results too.
Fall 2013
7.23
Name
Kashyap Krishna
Program
MS in Product Design

320

TUDelft
ASU
Reason for Admits

These were a few of the more technically oriented design courses I applied to. Having an engg.
background probably pushed me up the ranks to being selected.
Rejects
UPenn
UIC
Rhode Island School of Design
CMU
Reason for Rejects

\_()_/

IISc CPDM - half year internship + 1 year RA after graduation

Knowledge about US universities very cloudy. TUDelft works differently than its counterparts
across the pond.

To quite a few in India but none of them clicked. JN Tata, Inlaks and the ususal...
SOP and LOR advice?

Get your SoP reviewed only from someone who actually has time to review it for you.
Understand that the context of everything you state is important. Ask yourself ""why will this
paragraph impress them?"" Ask yourself ""how can you write this paragraph for it to be unique
compared to all your peers?"" Write, ask questions, revise, ask questions, revise.
Well LoRs are all about having a good connection with the professors. Talk, do projects with
them, don't get caught doing shit by them and ask them only if they have a particular interest in
the field of study you are applying to. Always have a (smart) answer to the question - ""Why not
India?"
Fall 2015
9.73
Name
Bevin Mathew
Program
MS in Industrial & Operations Engineering

328 (165,163,4)

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor,
North Carolina State University (NCSU)
Reason for Admits

Within Industrial Engineering, my area of interest was in Operations Management. U-Mich's IE
degree is very operations/manufacturing oriented. This was pretty much in line with what I
wanted in my SOP. And I had relevant work experience of 2 years in the same field even though
I was switching majors. NCSU also values work experience a lot from what I gather.
Rejects
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Texas A&M
Reason for Rejects

GeorgiaTech IE program is pretty elitist and given I had no research experience in the field and
because I did not do my undergrad in IE, I knew my chances wouldn't be high. Apart from that, I
could not find anyone from India who made into IE this year. Tech & U-Mich are considered the
best in the world for IE, and it was pretty weird that none of the dozen people from India who
made it to U-Mich made it to GeorgiaTech.
Texas A&M was a safe school. I don't why I didn't make the cut.

I never had focus on any one field. So that way my internships all seem pretty inconsistent. After
my second year, I did an intern at IISc in the Aerospace department (Solid Mechanics). After the
third year, a fellowship program at IIT-M in Viscoelasticity and my major project in Solid
Mechanics. Besides this I did one-month industrial training at an Oil & Gas consultancy in Doha.
While working I also worked on another project under NITK faculty in the domain of business
analytics. No papers published yet - one under review now.

NCSU provides RA/TA but I have declined their offer. U-Mich does not provide RA/TA till the
3rd semester at least

TOEFL Scholarship for India - 7000$. Look it up online.
Narottam Sekhsaria Scholarship: This one is an interest free loan of upto 20 lakhs which you
start paying back for 4 years one year after graduation from your MS/PhD. I am awaiting the
results for this.
Some scholarship also as part of the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at U-Mich to which I
got accepted.
SOP and LOR advice?

I am really no expert on this matter. But I would suggest you start thinking of what things to put
on your SOP by at least July-Aug. Make small notes on your smart phone whenever you think of
something worth putting in there. Then around October start forming the SOP. Take feedback
from a few people who have already been accepted into programs you are interested in. And
revise accordingly. You will never get it right at the first attempt. But it's crucial to start working
early. If you apply to multiple programs, they might all have different word limits, different
expectations from the SOP. So you need at least a month to tune each program SOP to the right
form.
Recos - if you're working, get one reco from your supervisor if the work ex is relevant.
For recos from college, you'd know best who to get it from. But please do not forget to go back
to college and personally thank all your recommenders once you receive the good news. It
means a lot to them.
If you are not 100% sure what you want to apply for, don't apply now. Go take a year or two and
work to figure out things so that you make the right decision. Besides the work ex will give you a
different way of viewing things.
Also, for those of you interested in Operations, please work for a couple of years in the field as it
makes a big difference. After that, if you apply to UMich, do have a look at Tauber Institute. It's
a program that apart from MS degree gives you additional courses at Ross School of Business so
that you graduate with a semi-MBA of sorts.
So to summarize, be very sure what you want to do your masters in and why. And spend months
doing research on what's the best uni for you!
All the best.
Fall 2015
Name
Gourav V Shet
Program
MS in Mech (MEMS)

319 (167,152,4)

University of Pennsylvania
Reason for Admits

Good academic profile and research interests and projects were similar.
Rejects
Stanford University
GeorgiaTech University
University of Maryland College Park
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
University of Illinois Urbana Champagne
9.21
Reason for Rejects

I suppose the competition level was higher and yeah hard luck

Analytical Study of Mass Transfer in Parallel Plate Microchannels Summer 2014
Guide: Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur,
The work involved studying the laminar forced convective mass and heat transfer of a
Newtonian fluid in a microchannel between two parallel plates analytically.
The effects of the concentration, rarefaction, axial conduction, and viscous dissipation on the
Sherwood number and local Nusselt number were expressed in terms of dimensionless
parameters such as the D (mass diffusivity), Kn, Pe and Br.
Study of Entropy generation of nanofluids flow in circular tubes Summer 2014
Guide: Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur,
Numerical investigation of entropy generation of nanofluids turbulent forced convection inside a
circular section tube subjected to sinusoidal wall heat flux was carried out.
GAMBIT was used to design and mesh the model and ANSYS Fluent software package was
used to carry out the simulation.
SOP and LOR advice?

As per my experience SOP didn't make much of a difference in my case. But then yeah don't
follow convention. Your SOP should stand out from the crowd and if possible don't copy. Put
through your ideas clearly and in a continuous manner.
If at all you have the opportunity to write your own LOR then make it little less formal, try to
include your interaction with prof outside classroom this will just highlight how well the prof
knows you.
Prepare properly for GRE and yeah do a thorough research of the Universities before applying.
Fall 2015
Name
Saurav Bose
Program
MS in Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer

327(170,157,4.5)

University of Pennsylvania
Reason for Admits

Research experience and recommendations
Rejects
Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton, UT Austin
Reason for Rejects

No publications and class rank not in the top three.

Second year summer at IISc Bangalore and third year summer at Politecnico di Milano, Italy
8.73

Yes. Admitted students are notified of available positions after the first semester. Positions are
granted based on the student's academic performance at Penn.
SOP and LOR advice?

Spend at least a couple of months writing, rewriting and proof reading.
Good luck. Feel free to contact me on sauravb@seas.upenn.edu
Fall 2015
Name
Kevin Anilson
Program
MS in Thermal/Fluids

332(165,167,5)

Reason for Admits

Lower standards and strategic applications.
Rejects
TAMU, USC, Virginia Tech, University of Texas Austin
Reason for Rejects

Very ambitious, should have worked harder on the SOP. Didn't talk to advisors before hand.
8.25

HAL Bangalore, engine division
IISc Bangalore, Instrumentation and Applied Physics dept. : validation of results using CFD

Yes, but I'll wait until later to apply. I want to know that I'm capable of juggling those
responsibilities
SOP and LOR advice?

Download senior's SOPS if they are so charitable. Read and find out what to do right and what to
not do. Be specific and somewhat original. Ostentatious, verbose essays aren't necessarily better.
So focus on getting your point eloquently across. Remember, you're marketing yourself.
For recommendations, start looking very early. Getting projects done under a few professors is
your best means of securing recommendations. Go out of the way to get the professors' attention
despite your classmates' disapproval. What they think matters little in the long run.
Fall 2015
Name
Girish Anant Kini
Program
MS/PhD in Mechanical Engineering

324(166 158 4 )

1. PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology
2. MS from ETH Zurich
3. MS from TU Delft
4. MS from RIT
Reason for Admits

1. Good academics
2. Previous research experience in very similar fields
3. Strong LORs from both inside and outside NITK
Rejects
UIUC
Minnesota
9.42
TAMU
Reason for Rejects

UIUC and Minnesota - No Profs whose research interest exactly matched mine. Plus they are
very competitive.
TAMU: TAMU mech has always been a surprise box. No clue whatsoever.

1. Two month intern at ISRO during summer, II year
2. 10 weeks at Heat Transfer lab, IISc during summer, III year
3. One month at Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions

Yes, I have received a RA from GaTech.

I did apply to JN Tata Fellowship program. I took back my application after having received the
RA from Gatech
SOP and LOR advice?

for LOR: Strike a balance between LORs from within NITK and outside of it. Also, look at Profs
from Maths department if you are falling short. They are generally willing to help.
SoP: Keep it as simple and straightforward as possible.
Good luck. For any additional info, ping me at https://www.facebook.com/girishkini93
Fall 2015
Name
Siddhant Banerjee
Program
MS in Industrial Enggineering

330 (164,166, 4.5)

KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden)(Waitlist)
Reason for Admits

They seem to prefer NITK students, quite a lot got into it from my year.
KTH also has quite a preference for Indian students.
Also, 3 Industrial internships helped.
Rejects
Columbia University
Purdue University
7.23
Reason for Rejects

GPA not high enough. No research background.

Tata Motors (3 weeks)
KSB Pumps (4 weeks)
Larsen and Toubro (5 weeks)
All Industrial project training internships.

Yes they do. I did not apply since they would hamper my chances of getting in with my
relatively low GPA.
SOP and LOR advice?

Make sure no one else writes your SoP. If it is anything less than personal, the colleges will
know.
Also try to get recos from prof's with some international standing (those who have worked on
projects outside and such). They hold much more relevance than even a glowing reco from some
other prof.
Do not ever think that the GRE is an ""entrance exam"". I've heard this many times and its far
from the truth. Foreign universities look at everything on your profile equally.
Best of luck.
Fall 2015
Name
Aravindhan Ramesh
Program
MS in Mechanical Engineering (Thermal)

321(166,155,4)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Florida
Reason for Admits

Principally four reasons:
1) 9+ GPA
2) Two Research Interns (including a DAAD Fellowship)
3) 3 Publications + Other Projects at NITK
4) Good GRE
Rejects
CalTech
9.35
GeorgiaTech
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Reason for Rejects

Caltech - Intake is even more limited than MIT/Stanford. Plus a superdream university.
GeorgiaTech - I guess this Fall their PhD Program had larger intake than MS.
Minnesota - It was safe. No idea why.
UT Austin - Apply to Austin only if you have workEx of atleast 2 years.

1) IITM - Second Year Summer
2) TUM, Germany - Third Year Summer (DAAD)
3) TIFR, Hyderabad - IAS Fellow
4) IISc - Bachelor Thesis

Yes, they do offer. RA Positions are got generally if you've worked enough with a Professor so
that he knows you well. I would be applying in my second semester
SOP and LOR advice?

SoP: It is a long process. Do not rush through. First make a bullet point list of all the things that
you would want to be included in your SoP by going through several SoPs. Then decide on the
structure (or order). Start building details over the points without caring about any word limit.
After each point has been elaborated, now trim your word count by deciding what is more
important. Strong opening and finishing paragraphs make an impact.
LOR: Get LORs from Profs who you know will give good statement rather than an average LOR
from a Professor at a higher post. Make sure you waive your right to see the LOR.
Fall 2015
Name
George Justin
Program
MS in Mechanical Engineering (Structural Mechanics)

326 (162, 164, 4.5)

North Carolina State University,
University of Southern California,
Clemson University,
Arizona State University,
University of Florida (Gainesville).
Reason for Admits

Combination of pretty decent SOP and GRE scores.
Rejects
Texas A&M
Virginia Tech
8.37
Reason for Rejects

Did not have sufficient GPA and research projects.

Tebodin and Partner LLC (Pressure Vessel Design)
SOP and LOR advice?

Approach recommenders early.
Fall 2015
8.70
Name
Dhruv Chand
Program
MS in CS, AI and HCI

330 (167 163 4)

University of California at San Diego
Carnegie Mellon University (METALS program)
University of Southern California (probably, still under review)
Reason for Admits

Good LoRs (2 from CMU including one Associate Prof.; a British mathematician; and HoD of
mech department, KVG)
Internships and project experience.
My SoP wasn't very fancy I'd like to think.
Rejects
Stanford University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Maryland at College Park
Carnegie Mellon University (MS CS program)
Reason for Rejects

Lack of grades in computer science courses -- I could not take any during my undergrad because
of the inflexibility of our college system. I emailed a two profs (at Brown and UMCP), and they
told me this would be the deciding factor in my situation.

I have been working with the English mathematician Dr. Timothy Poston on creating a novel
authoring tool for creating interactive mathematical documents.
Attended CMU IPTSE in educational games track; won best project award.
Interned at the Human Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer
Science, during the summer of 2014. I worked on Intelligent Tutoring Systems.
Besides these, I did a couple of projects at college, and led a JavaScript team at NITK SOLVE
Lab, that made software simulations of engineering mechanisms and other mechanical
engineering stuff.

Not out of the door, but I will be mailing profs once I get a gatech.edu ID, about working with
them.

Nope. I started my application season pretty late (in November).
SOP and LOR advice?

LoRs: Make sure you ask for a strong letter of recommendation -- anything else might do more
bad than good. This will also give the professors the liberty of declining your request if they
cannot do justice to the letter. Give professors atleast a month's time for this; don't do last minute
requests, it will only reduce the quality of your letter.
SoP: Draft, draft draft. Keep about a month's time to chisel your SoP, and make sure you get it
critiqued each time. An SoP should not be your resume in a narrative form; form a compelling
case as to why you want to join THAT particular program at THAT particular university, and
how your experience so far makes you an ideal candidate.
Feel free to ping me on facebook if you have any queries.
And yes: don't get bogged down by dogma while pursuing you goals.
Fall 2015
9.49
Name
Vitul Varshney
Program
MS in Mechanical (Dynamics and Control Systems)

326 (170, 156, 4.5)

North Carolina State University (NCSU)
Cornell University (MEng Programme)
Arizona State University (ASU)
Reason for Admits

With all veracity, I believe I was fortunate enough to be accepted into any college other than
ASU. At the time of application, I believe my profile was barely comparable to my fellow
colleagues, what with the lack of any research papers and any research experience. My saving
grace may have been my pointer, standardized test scores, and to some extent my statement of
purpose (SOP). The manner in which I initially adumbrated the points to be highlighted in my
SOP and then segued from one point of interest to another may have proved to be in my favor
(readability of SOP). I concentrated specifically in the direction I want my future to lie in, and
essayed to prove that my work/project experience will aid the current and/or future works of
professors working the same field at the chosen university.
Rejects
University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP)
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
Purdue, West Lafeyette (Decision Pending)
Reason for Rejects

1. Paucity of research experience in my profile
2. Abysmal and unproductive internships
3. Unimportant or ordinary Letters of Recommendation
4. Not enough research on the admission process of the college (I await Purdue results. It's June.)
5. No communication with the professors pre-hand

TIFAC, Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India
May 15, 2014 July 20, 2014
Research Intern
Integrated Electric Wheelchair
Researched power train, mechatronics system design, and protocols for communication
interfaces to design an integrated electric wheelchair for the needs any of persons with
disabilities.
1. Attempted to design a direct motor drive and a control for manoeuvrability of the wheelchair
to be independent of the controlling device
2. Attempted to integrate TECLA Access for seamless integration across accessibility (Android)
devices
(Did none of the above. Wrote a report and that's it.)
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Ltd., Bidadi, Karnataka

June 07, 2013 July 20, 2013
Intern
Process Optimization of Paint Shop Operations and Design of Jig for Auto Torque Wrench
1. Performed time and motion study for major Paintshop processes to optimize and improve
efficiency
2. Designed a jig for Automatic Torque Wrench to reduce pain inflicted to operators wrist.
3. Set up an experimental force calibration setup in the Kaizen Department to analyse the effect
of force diffusion through a two-linked revolute-jointed jig hold
(Pointless internship)

As of yet, no. I will plan to apply for RA/TA positions post my first semester. It may prove to be
a difficult venture and I wish to be acquainted with the workload prior to applying for such
positions. Many universities have begun to offer such positions based solely on the outcome of
the first semester of your Masters course.

None. Most colleges are dissuaded from awarding international applicants with scholarships (I
believe so). It is advisable to ask the professors prior to application.
SOP and LOR advice?

SoP:
1. Don't bullshit.
2. Attempt to make a connection with some professors working in the same field.
3. They don't care about your life history. Expound on your future goals and elucidate how your
current research experience will prove to be helpful.
4. Make a note of mentioning some research labs (i.e. GRASP Lab at UPenn) and some projects
that have intrigued you.
Letters of Recommendation:
1. One of my downfalls could have been LORs which were obtained from individuals unfamiliar
with my work and/or research interests. Ask professors and/or mentors who are aware of your
goals and can positively acknowledge your competency in your field of interest.
2. Ask the professors and/or mentors in advance.
Sleep on anything you can't decide. Don't do anything in the heat of the moment. Ask
disinterested people to review your SOP.
You'll do only as well as you want to. Wishing you the very best.
Fall 2015
Metallurgy & Materials Engineering
8.34
Name
Abhishek R
Program
MS in Entertainment Technology (Visual effects in game design)

318 (156, 162, 3)

Reason for Admits

I did a part time diploma in animation and visual effects during the summers and winters so I had
a really good interview round where I took them through my work portfolio. Also my heavy
involvement in college club activities and experience as Music Club Joint con were definitely
plus points. I'm also told that I had a strong SOP
Rejects
MS in digital media, Georgia Tech
MA in digital arts UC San Diego
MS is media arts and technology UC Santa Barbara
Reason for Rejects

Georgia Tech was looking for a very technical approach to digital media. while my SOP sang
about movies and games, this program was all about hardcore interactive design and the
occasionall I-Pad app. plus my GRE score was pretty bad, especially for GATech
I was never serious about my UCSD application. My amateurish online portfolio was nowhere
near the expectations of a good arts program in the US. I didn't really stand a chance
I was confident about UCSB but things didnt work out. I guess my test scores were a downside
and the program again was not very pro-film or game industry, even though the theses and
projects I've seen there are very artistic

Nil. Just continued my diploma

Yes. I'm not applying anytime soon. A professor I've been in touch with has already warned me
that the first semester will be far too busy for RA and TA.
SOP and LOR advice?

SOP: Be cheesy, Be creative, Be direct. Open with a boom. Milk the diversity statement for all
it's worth.
LORs aren't too troublesome. its always best if your reco prof knows your work in the field
you're applying to. For example, 2 of my reco's are from meta profs even though my MS is in
media. But they wrote good reco's because apart from doing well in their classes, I helped one of
them design a brochure for the department and the other was a fan of the music club and knew
how active I was in it. So a bit of focus on the area you're applying to is always good.
Good luck and may the force be with you!
Also do check out the ETC @CMU. it is awesome.
Fall 2014
Mining Engineering
Name
Sriranjan Thirumalai
Program
PhD in Civil (Geotechnical Engineering)

325 (164,161,5)

1) University of Texas, Austin
2) Colorado School of Mines
3) Purdue University
Reason for Admits

Good research experience
Rejects
1)University of Wisconsin-Madison
2)University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Reason for Rejects

Unsure
8.67

Indian Academy of Sciences 2012
IISc 2013
Mining Trainings

Yes. Applied and received fellowship at UT, A
SOP and LOR advice?

Keep it to the point and eloquent.
Best of luck!

NITK Masters Gyan 2015

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NITK MASTERS GYAN 2015

Branch-wise & Year-wise Count

GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

Admits (in order of preference)

Reason for Admits

University of Maryland, College Park

Reason for Rejects

Internships you did as an Undergrad?

RA/TA Positions at your university?

Scholarship or Financial Aid?

SOP and LOR advice?

GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

Admits (in order of preference)

Reason for Admits

Reason for Rejects

Internships you did as an Undergrad?

RA/TA Positions at your university?

Scholarship or Financial Aid?

SOP and LOR advice?

GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

Admits (in order of preference)

RA/TA Positions at your university?

SOP and LOR advice?

GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

Admits (in order of preference)

Reason for Admits

Internships you did as an Undergrad?

SOP and LOR advice?

GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

Admits (in order of preference)

Reason for Admits

Reason for Rejects

Internships you did as an Undergrad?

RA/TA Positions at your university?

SOP and LOR advice?

GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

Admits (in order of preference)

Reason for Admits

Reason for Rejects

Internships you did as an Undergrad?

RA/TA Positions at your university?

SOP and LOR advice?

GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

Admits (in order of preference)

Reason for Admits

Reason for Rejects

Internships you did as an Undergrad?

RA/TA Positions at your university?

Scholarship or Financial Aid?

SOP and LOR advice?

GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

Admits (in order of preference)

Reason for Admits

Reason for Rejects

Internships you did as an Undergrad?

RA/TA Positions at your university?

Scholarship or Financial Aid?

SOP and LOR advice?

GRE (Quant, Verbal, AWA)

Admits (in order of preference)

Reason for Admits

Reason for Rejects

Internships you did as an Undergrad?

RA/TA Positions at your university?